Kashmir records 58% polling, despite Friday's terror attacks

3rd phase of polls in J&K and Jharkhand largely peaceful; latter sees 61% voting

Electors in Jammu & Kashmir remained largely unfazed by last week’s terrorist attacks, as the state on Tuesday recorded 58 per cent voter turnout in the third phase of Assembly polls. Polling took place for 16 seats, all of which were in the Kashmir Valley.

Jharkhand, the other state that went to polls, recorded nearly 61 per cent polling in its third phase. Two more phases of polling remain in both states; counting of votes is scheduled for December 23.

In J&K, Tuesday’s turnout was less than the 72 per cent in the first two phases but nine percentage points higher than the 49 per cent in the 2008 Assembly polls. With Tuesday’s polling covering three districts, voting has been completed in 49 of the 87 Assembly constituencies. The fourth and fifth phases will take place on December 14 and 20.

The only incident of violence reported was a petrol bomb attack by unidentified persons at a polling station in Gulmarg. Polling, otherwise, was largely peaceful in Baramulla, Pulwama and Budgam districts of North, South and central Kashmir.

Charar-e-Sharief in Budgam district recorded the highest turnout of 82.74 per cent, against 74.58 in 2008. Sopore, home town of hardline Hurriyat Conference Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who spearheaded an election boycott campaign, saw the lowest of 30 per cent. This, however, was higher than the 19.95 per cent in 2008.

The Uri constituency in Baramulla district, which witnessed the attack on an army camp on Friday that left 11 security personnel and six militants dead, recorded a 79 per cent turnout. In the previous Assembly polls, the constituency had seen 81.73 per cent voting.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s constituency, Beerwah in Budgam district,  locked in a multi-cornered contest, recorded a polling increase of nearly 17 percentage points over last Assembly elections. The constituency recorded 74.14 per cent voting, compared with 57.17 per cent in 2008.

The 17 Assembly constituencies that went to polls in Jharkhand saw an overall voter turnout of 60.69 per cent. No major incidents of violence were reported.