Come Monday, Election Commission faces the acid test to hold the peaceful polls in the two highly militancy infested districts of Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency in South Kashmir.

Two sensitive districts of Pulwama and Shopian comprising of six assembly segments will go to polls in the third phase of Anantnag constituency on Monday. It is for the first time in the electoral history that the polls in the single Lok Sabha constituency of Anantnag are being held in three phases given the high infestation of militants and precarious law and order situation.

Six assembly segments of Anantnag district went to polls on April 23 in which 13.61 per cent electorates cast their vote. Four assembly segments of Kulgam district went to the polls in the second phase on April 29 recording the turnout of 10.32 per cent.

Spread over four districts of South Kashmir – Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian -- Anantnag LS constituency, with an electorate of 13. 97 lakh, comprises of 16 assembly segments.

PDP chief and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti is among the 18 candidates including Congress' GA Mir and National Conference's Justice (retd) Hasnain Masoodi who are trying their luck from Anantnag LS constituency.Fear has been palpable in the twin districts Pulwama and Shopian. Political parties choose secured enclosures to address few supporters given the militant threats. Banners, buntings and other electioneering paraphernalia were missing in the two districts.

Of the total 300 terrorists operating in entire Jammu and Kashmir, more than 110 are active in Pulwama and Shopian alone. They include Hizbul Mujhadeen chief operational commander Riyaz Naikoo, Jaish-e-Mohammad commander Sameer Ahmad, besides others.

More than 44 terrorists have been killed in entire south Kashmir this year so far. On Friday, security forces killed Lateef Ahmad Dar, alias Tiger, the last surviving associate of slain terrorist Burhan Wani, who featured in the 11-member group picture that set social media on fire in 2015, was killed along with two associates.

"Next phase of election is challenging and there is no doubt about it. We have taken certain measures. We put those measures in Anantnag and further upgraded it in Kulgam. It will be further upgraded in Shopian and Pulwama. We are confident that we will be able to conduct peaceful election there", said Shailendra Kumar, the chief electoral officer of Jammu and Kashmir.

Massive security blanket has been thrown around the twin districts and police and paramilitary forces have been deployed in strength to ensure peaceful and incident free polls. "We are ceased of the matter. All precautions will be taken to ensure peaceful polls," said a security force officer.