Farooq Abdullah seeks repolling in Garoora-Bandipora, alleges booth capturing in DDC polls

In a letter to State EC KK Sharma, Abdullah claimed that real voters of the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration candidates were disallowed to vote at a number of places.

National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah in Srinagar | ANI File photo

Srinagar: NC president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday demanded repolling in Garoora District Development Council constituency in Jammu and Kashmir’s Bandipora in view of allegations of booth capturing and other malpractices.

Polling for the sixth phase of the District Development Council (DDC) elections was held on December 13.

In a letter to state Election Commissioner K K Sharma, Abdullah expressed concern over an incident of booth capturing and subsequent bogus voting in the recently held DDC polls in Garoora Bandipora.

A very sad state of affairs has been brought to my notice. At a number of places, real voters and supporters of People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) candidates were disallowed to vote. Apart from wanton capturing of polling booths at Garoora, Bandipora A on December 13, incidents of unwarranted interference were reported from a number of areas which went to polls on December 16. In Chitragam Shopian, voters were forcefully stopped from casting their votes, he said in the letter.

Abdullah, who is also PAGD chief, sought repolling in these areas “in the interest of justice and fair play”.