Srinagar, India  - Small numbers of voters turned out to cast their ballots Wednesday amid tight security and under an overcast sky in the seventh and final phase of state assembly elections in India's Jammu and Kashmir state.

The first three hours of balloting saw voter turnout of about 3 per cent in eight constituencies in Srinagar district, the centre of an anti-India agitation earlier in 2008.

The turnout was about 10 per cent in the other 13 constituencies in southern Jammu and its adjoining Samba district.

Election officials said they expected voting to pick up in the afternoon once the weather improved.

Two days ahead of the polling in Jammu and Samba districts, Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu police have arrested the state chief of Harkat-ul-Jehad-e-Islami (HuJI). The arrested militant was purportedly involved in several terror acts including the serial blasts at Faizabad and Varanasi.

Abdul Qayoom Manhas, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Jammu-Kathua range said, “HuJI militant outfit chief and accused in Faizabad and Varanasi blasts has been arrested by SOG, when he was doing a recce of an area near Jammu Railway station on Sunday evening.”

The DIG further told that the arrested HuJI chief has been recognized as Muzaffer Ahmed Illahi Daanger alias Suhail Faisal, son of Ghulam Ahmed of Chingam in district Kishtwar.

Srinagar, Dec 24 : Polling for the seventh and final phase of Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir began this morning.

Voting is being held in 11 assembly segments of Jammu district, two assembly constituencies of Samba district and eight constituencies of Srinagar district.

The fate of 393 candidates, including 31 women, will be decided.

Jammu, Dec 22 : A Harkat-ul Jehad-e-Islami (HuJI) militant,

Jammu, Dec 22: Congress President Sonia Gandhi has warned neighbouring countries against encouraging terrorism.

She was addressing an election rally in Dableer village near Jammu ahead of the final seventh phase of the assembly elections.

Sonia said India''s desire for peace should not be taken as a sign of weakness.

Srinagar, Dec 22: Campaigning for the seventh and final phase of Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will come to an end this evening.