*14.68 lakh voters to decide fate of 13 candidates
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 16: Army today thwarted a major plot to disrupt Parliamentary elections in Udhampur-Doda constituency tomorrow by recovering a consignment of explosive devices including a powerful pressure cooker IED from Pul Doda, which the militants abandoned after being observed by the people this morning. Troops also foiled an infiltration attempt by the militants on the Line of Control (LoC) in Mendhar sector of Poonch district early today.
The high profile Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha with 14,68,886 electorates and 13 candidates including Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad (Congress), Dr Jitendra Singh (BJP) and Arshad Malik (PDP) will go to polls tomorrow in second phase of polling in Jammu and Kashmir and fifth phase countrywide.
Spread over 17 Assembly segments and 2051 polling stations, the constituency has 109 critical polling stations, majority of them-75 falling in Kathua district, mostly along the International Border (IB), 32 in Doda district and one in Kishtwar district.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the people observed movement of two suspected militants at Pul Doda in Doda district at 9.30 am today. The militants wearing Pathani suits ran away after being challenged by the people leaving behind the explosive material.
Defence spokesman Col Manish Mehta said a joint team of Army personnel, who were part of Road Opening Party (ROP) and police constables, immediately came into action and chased the suspects but they remained untraced.
Col Mehta said two Chinese grenades, four to five kilograms urea with high explosive content, one Pathani suit and a pressure cooker IED filled with explosive material were recovered from the spot.
Sources said Army and police conducted massive search operations in the area but the suspects remained untraced. They added that the IED would be defused tomorrow after completion of the election process at 6 pm.
Reports had been pouring in that the militants were under pressure from their mentors to commit an act on or before the polling in Udhampur-Doda seat. Sources said the militants might have planned to cause terror strikes in Doda tomorrow during polling to disrupt the election process but Army and police foiled their plot.
Though Army and police have recovered the explosive material left behind by the militants, they have not been able to trace the militants. Police have been maintaining a high alert all along the Doda belt comprising Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts to ensure that the polling passed off peacefully tomorrow.
Sources said a group of militants also tried to infiltrate into the Indian territory from the Line of Control (LoC) along Tarkundi Nullah in Balakote sector of Mendhar in Poonch district at 3 am today. Troops acted swiftly and foiled the infiltration attempt.
Army, however, conducted searches in the area throughout the day today but there were no traces of any infiltration attempt which indicated that the militants had retreated to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). Sources said the militants had been launched from Mathryani area of PoK.
Troops have been maintaining high alert along the LoC.
Col Mehta said the militants were first spotted at 3 am and then again at 4 am. Both the times, alert troops acted swiftly and foiled the infiltration attempt by the militants.
Meanwhile, sources said all possible security arrangements have been made with the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and police in all areas of Lok Sabha seat while Army was manning the heights in Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts for peaceful elections.
Official sources said a total of 22,516 polling personnel have been deployed for 2051 polling stations for Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat spread over six districts of Kathua, Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar and 17 Assembly segments-5 in Kathua, three each in Udhampur and Reasi and two each in Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban.
Of 17 Assembly segments, eight are held by Congress (5 in erstwhile Doda district and one each in Reasi, Udhampur and Kathua district), four by BJP (three in Kathua and one Reasi), two by Nationalist Panthers Party (both in Udhampur district), two by National Conference (one each in Kishtwar and Reasi districts) and one by Independent (Kathua).
A total of 14,68,886 electorate were eligible to exercise their franchise for tomorrow’s election in Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat. The voters included 7,77,599 male, 6,77850 females, 13,436 Service voters and Others 1.
Of 13 candidates in the fray, there was only one woman-Amrit Barsha of Samajwadi Party. Twelve other candidates trying their luck in Udhampur-Doda seat area Ghulam Nabi Azad (Congress), Dr Jitendra Singh (BJP) Mohammad Arshad Malik (PDP), Prof Bhim Singh (NPP), Dharam Pal Balgotra (BSP), Anil Gupta (JKDF-Independent), Anil Khajuria (All J&K Kissan Mazdoor Party), Jagdish Kumar (Jai Maha Bharath Party), Girdhari Lal (Bharatiya Bahujan Party), Bansi Lal, Sham Lal and Nazakat Hussain (all Independents).
Kathua district with 5 Assembly segments has highest number of about 4.25 lakh votes followed by Udhampur (which has three Assembly constituencies) with about 2.95 lakh electorates. Reasi district, which too has three Assembly constituencies, has about 2.4 lakh voters.
Ramban district has 1.6 lakh electorates, Doda 1.82 lakh and Kishtwar district 1.55 lakh. All these three districts have two Assembly segments each.
As reported, authorities have deployed adequate number of CAPFs and police personnel in the entire Lok Sabha seat for peaceful polling. Number of security personnel was high in hyper sensitive and critical polling stations, which fall in militancy infested areas of erstwhile Doda district and International Border (IB) in Hiranagar sector.
While Army was manning heights of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts, troops have also been kept on alert for vulnerable areas of communally sensitive belts especially Kishtwar district.
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