A polling official marks the finger of a woman before she casts her vote in Baramulla. (AFP)

Baramulla, April 20: Widespread violence and low voter turnout marked the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in north Kashmir’s Baramulla constituency.

Three people were killed and 12 injured in more than two dozens attacks across Baramulla.

Asiya Nabi, a freelance journalist and member of a local non-governmental organisation, was seriously injured and the driver of his Tata Sumo killed when the vehicle drove over an improvised explosive device at Chandigam village in the border district of Kupwara this morning.

The Sumo was blown up, killing the driver on the spot. Asiya and five others were critically wounded, with the journalist succumbing to injuries in the hospital.

Militants also bombed a polling station at Sopore in north Kashmir, killing a head constable and injuring five others including three policemen and two Border Security Force members. The string of militant attacks across the constituency were clearly aimed at disrupting polling.

The voter turnout at Baramulla was lower compared to the 2002 Assembly elections. K.G. Rao, adviser to Election Commission, said the overall poll percentage in Baramulla was 35 per cent. Two years ago, the voting percentage in the 10 Assembly segments of Baramulla district was 40.08 per cent; it was 53.15 per cent across the five Assembly segments in Kupwara district.

In Uri, where PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti escaped a grenade attack on a rally recently, 58 per cent voted today.

The voter turnout in Baramulla was a considerable improvement over the 1999 Lok Sabha poll percentage, which was seven per cent lower at 27.82 per cent.