42% polling in Jammu & Kashmir

Ignoring the separatists' call for a boycott of elections, an estimated 42 per cent of over 12 lakh voters cast their ballots in Baramulla and Ladakh Lok Sabha constituencies in the fifth and last phase in Jammu and Kashmir today.      

"As per tentative figures available with election office here, 42 per cent voting was recorded in Baramulla and ladakh parliamentary constituencies", Chief Electoral Officer B R Sharma told reporters this evening.     

He said these figures may go up as reports from 15 polling booths in Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency were still awaited while polling could not be held at two polling booths of snow-bound Zanskar assembly segment in the same constituency. The polling will be held in these two booths on May 15, Sharma said.      

Giving details, he said Baramulla parliamentary constituency recorded 40 per cent polling while Ladakh recorded between 60 to 65 per cent.    

The overall poll percentage in the two constituencies was 42 per cent, he said, adding that the day was incident-free.      

In 2004 parliamentary elections, Baramulla had recorded 35.66 per cent polling while Ladakh had recorded 73.52 per cent polling.