‘Poonch district in Jammu tops with 71.62 percent voting, in Kashmir region, Bandipora records highest voting at 56.4 percent, In Anantnag miscreants tried to disrupt polling, media men were separated from crowd, FIR registered’
Abid Bashir
Jammu: State Election Commissioner (SEC) K K Sharma Thursday said that the phase-5 of ensuing District Development Council (DDC) polls ended peacefully across J&K with total poll percentage of 51.2 percent.
Addressing a presser at Jammu, the SEC said that barring a few small incident of small incident of stone pelting at Anantnag, the overall polling remained peaceful. “J&K has recorded the total voting percentage of 51.2 percent for the phase 5 of DDC polls that were held today,” Sharma said as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO). He said that in Jammu region, Poonch district topped with the highest voting percentage at 71.62 percent while in Kashmir, Bandpora recorded highest voting percentage of 56.64 percent voting.
“In Jammu, 66.67 percent voting was recorded. In Kashmir, barring Srinagar, DDC constituencies in other nine districts went to polling and recorded 33.57 voting,” Sharma said.
He also informed that polling was held in 2104 polling stations including 1190 from Kashmir division and 914 from Jammu division.
The SEC stated that Jammu division recorded an average voter turnout of 66.67 per cent with Poonch District recording the highest percentage of 71.62 per cent followed by Doda district with 70.95 per cent and 70.83 per cent voting recorded in Rajouri district. The lowest turnout in Jammu division was in Jammu district which recorded 60.24 per cent. Besides, Kashmir Division recorded 33.57 per cent average voter turnout with Bandipora district recording the highest polling at 56.40 per cent followed by Kupwara District at 52.35 per cent and Budgam with around 45.65 per cent polling.
Giving district wise details, SEC informed that in Kashmir Division the polling percentage recorded in Ganderbal was 37.47 per cent, Baramulla 44.31 per cent, Anantnag 21.89 per cent, Kulgam 26.94 per cent, Pulwama 8.12 per cent and 5.52 per cent polling was registered in Shopian.
Similarly, in Jammu division poll percentage of 64.71 per cent was recorded in Samba, 69.47 per cent in Udhampur, 68.27 per cent in Kishtwar, 67.11 per cent in Ramban, 69.15 per cent in Reasi and 62.36 per cent in Kathua, Sharma said.
Replying to a query that why scribes were allegedly beaten in Anantnag district, the SEC said that a small incident took place there when miscreants tried to disrupt the polling. “When media men reached there, miscreants started pelting with more pace, police separated scribes from the miscreants. An FIR has been registered under sections 103, 306, and 307 against miscreants,” he said.
He said that a complaint was also received by a political party in Rajouri and police have taken the cognizance of the incident. Sharma said that phase-6 of DDC polls will be held on December 13 and all the preparations are in place for the smooth conduct of remaining phases of polls—(KNO)
