Poll staff airlifted, others trekking to remote Ladakh areas

Polling parties and election materials were dispatched Sunday to six far-flung polling stations of Leh district in Jammu and Kashmir for voting in the Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency scheduled May 7.

The six stations are Lingshet, Skumpata, Dipling, Hunkar, Markha and Rumbag.

"Staff along with election material for Lingshet, Skumpata and Dipling polling stations have been airlifted by helicopter. The personnel for Hunker, Markha and Rumbag polling stations will trek to their destination along with the poll material.

"The voting officials and equipment for Yulchung and Nyraks polling stations would be airlifted tomorrow (Monday).

"Returning officer, Leh, Simrandip Singh is supervising the collection and distribution process of election materials/EVMs at Degree College, Leh today (Sunday)," an Election Commission statement issued Sunday said.

Voting process will begin May 7 at 7 a.m. in some of the world's most inaccessible places in the cold desert Ladakh region of the state.

Discovery Channel is filming the Herculean exercise to help people in places that remain cut off from the outside world for more than seven months each year, to exercise their franchise.

Polling stations have been set up at such inaccessible places for as few as 90 voters.

The seat has four candidates in the fray -- one each from the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party besides two independents.