Voting in Kulgam district of the constituency is spread over four Assembly segments of Noorabad, Kulgam, Homshalibugh and Devsar.
Voting will take place in 433 polling stations and a total of 3,45,486 electors are eligible to vote.
Kulgam voting segment has the highest number of voters -- 98,298.
Authorities have made elaborate arrangements to ensure that militants are prevented from disrupting the democratic process by creating multiple layers of security.
Security forces were moved out early on Saturday to take over the polling stations across Kulgam district that has witnessed bloody gunfights between the security forces and the militants during the last three years.
In addition to securing polling stations and areas around these, security forces have also been deployed on roads and hillside areas.
"The shifting of EVMs to places designated for their safe deposit and ensuring safety to the poll staff after they discharge their duties during the day is another major challenge the security forces face in this constituency," poll officials said.
Incidents of miscreants pelting stones at vehicles carrying the poll staff and the security forces back to the district headquarters after the poll process were witnessed during the first phase of the three-phased poll process on April 23 in this constituency.
A policeman was killed and over 15 others, including poll staff and security forces, were injured when miscreants attacked two vehicles in Kokernag area of Anantnag district on April 23 in the evening.
Poll authorities have curtailed the voting hours in Anantnag constituency to ensure that the poll staff and the security forces return to designate places before darkness.
Voting hours have been scheduled from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. instead of 6 p.m. as was done in the poll process of other Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.
There are 18 candidates in the fray in this constituency, but the main contest is between Mehbooba Mufti of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ghulam Ahmad Mir of Congress and Justice (Retired) Hasnain Masoodi of the National Conference (NC).
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Sofi Yusuf, the Peoples Conference (PC), Choudhary Zafar Ali. In addition, there is a lone woman candidate, Ridwana Sanam who is fighting as an Independent candidate.
For the first time in the electoral history of the state, a non-local, Shams Khwaja, a lawyer from Uttar Pradesh, is also in the fray.
Third phase of polling is scheduled in this constituency on May 6.
Two youths sustained pellet injuries in clashes with the security forces in Kulgam district. Both were shifted to Srinagar for treatment, police said.
Although there are 18 candidates in Anantnag, one of three Lok Sabha seats in the Kashmir Valley, the main contest involves former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti of the People's Democratic Party, Ghulam Ahmad Mir of Congress and Justice (Retired) Hasnain Masoodi of the National Conference.
The total electorate eligible to vote on Monday was 345,486 and covers Kulgam district. The first phase of voting involved Anantnag district and the third and final round will cover the districts of Pulwama and Shopian.
Despite the promise of unprecedented security, the voter turnout was pathetic on Monday.
Of the 76,468 voters in Nooradabad Assembly segnment, only 15,663 voted. In Devsar, of the total 91,233, a mere 15,160 came to the polling booths.
In Kulgam, out of 97,569 voters, a merely 1,684 exercised their right to franchise. The voting percentage was more pathetic in Homshalibugh: out of 78,278 voters, only 891 voted.
Indeed, more migrant voters -- 1,762 -- voted in Jammu, Udhampur and Delhi, officials said. This was out of 1,938 migrant voters.
An Election Commission official here said the overall total voter turnout came to 10.2 per cent.
As the voting began, some youths took to the streets throwing stones to disrupt the polling. Security forces then opened fire to disperse the mobs.
At the Laram polling station in Homshalibugh, voting was delayed for 40 minutes due to a faulty Electronic Voting Machine (EVM).
A total of 433 polling stations had been set up at 244 locations.
As a precaution, mobile Internet services were suspended in the south Kashmir areas. Train services between Baramulla and Banihal were also cancelled.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Sofi Yusuf and the People's Conference Choudhary Zafar Ali. In addition, a woman candidate, Ridwana Sanam, is contesting as an Independent.
For the first time in the electoral history of the state, a non-local, Shams Khwaja, a lawyer from Uttar Pradesh, is also in the race.
The last phase of the three-phased poll process in this constituency is scheduled on May 6.
Addressing party workers on PDP's foundation day, Mufti said: "Anybody trying to fiddle with Article 35A would be playing with dynamite. It would have such disastrous consequences that nobody would be able to control."
She said her party would stand like a rock for the protection of state's special status and that she was ready to go to jail while protecting the same.
Mufti also criticized former Chief Minister and Vice President of the National Conference (NC), Omar Abdullah, for saying that the decision of the Supreme Court on Article 35A would be accepted by the NC.
"No tinkering of any sort by anybody with Article 35A would be acceptable to the people of Jammu and Kashmir," she asserted.