74% polling in nine phases of J-K Panchayat polls, 38.8% in final phase

Jammu and Kashmir recorded an overall polling of 74 per cent in the nine phases of Panchayat elections, with the last phase on Tuesday witnessing 38.8 per cent voting, election officials said.

In the nine phases, Jammu recorded 83.5 per cent voter turn out, Ladakh 67.8 per cent and Kashmir 41.3 per cent, they said.

The polls passed off peacefully amid tight security with no untoward incident despite a boycott call given by separatists and the lurking threat of violence by terrorists, they said.

Voting for the final phase was held Tuesday at 452 polling stations spread across seven districts of Kashmir division and it ended peacefully at 2 pm, the officials said.

North Kashmir's Kupwara district registered the highest polling at 53.6 per cent and the lowest was in South Kashmir's Pulwama district at 1.4 per cent.

Bandipora recorded 46 per cent polling, Baramulla 38.9 per cent, Budgam 38.8 per cent, Anantnag 24.8 per cent and Ganderbal witnessed 20.9 per cent voting, the officials said.

In the ninth phase, 430 candidates were contesting for 55 sarpanch and 138 panch posts. Sixty-eight sarpanchs and 433 panchs had already been elected unopposed in this phase.

An electorate of 68,745 was eligible to vote for sarpanch constituencies and 20,688 for panch constituencies in the ninth phase.

"With the completion of voting, overall 74 per cent polling was recorded in all the phases of panchayat elections in the state. Jammu witnessed an impressive 83.5 per cent voting, Ladakh 67.8 per cent and Kashmir 41.3 per cent in all the phases," an official said.

The official said the first phase on November 17 recorded 74.1 per cent voting overall, followed by 71.1 per cent in the second phase on November 20, 75.2 per cent in the third phase on November 24 and 71.3 per cent polling in the fourth phase on November 27.

In the fifth phase, 71.1 per cent voting was witnessed on November 29, 76.9 per cent on December 1, 75.3 per cent on December 4 nd 79.9 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the eighth phase on December 8.

In Jammu region, the first phase recorded 79.4 per cent voting followed by 80.4 per cent in the second phase, 83.0 per cent in the third phase, 82.4 per cent in the fourth phase, 85.2 per cent in the fifth phase, 84.6 per cent in the sixth phase, 84.8 per cent in the seventh phase and 85.1 per cent in the eighth phase.

Similarly, Kashmir division recorded a turnout of 64.5 per cent in the first phase followed by 52.2 per cent in the second phase, 55.7 per cent in the third phase, 32.3 per cent in the fourth phase, 33.7 per cent in the fifth phase, 17.3 per cent in the sixth phase, 30.3 per cent in the seventh phase and 49.6 per cent in the eighth phase.

Ladakh, which is part of Kashmir division, recorded 65.2 per cent voting in the first phase, 66.4 per cent in the second phase and 70.9 per cent in the third phase, the officials said.

The results were announced for eight phases, while the results of the ninth phase are in progress.