Kashmir records 64% polling

Ehsan Fazili

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, November 17

After a dismal turnout in the urban local bodies elections held in October, the Kashmir valley recorded a high poll percentage of 64.49 in the Phase I of the panchayat elections on Saturday. The polling was held in 16 blocks across six districts.

The polling was held amid a Valley-wide shutdown called by separatists in three districts of Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora in north Kashmir and in the central Kashmir districts of Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal. It ended peacefully without any reports of untoward incidents from any part of the Valley.

The highest poll percentage of 71.94 was recorded in the frontier Kupwara district in Keran, Ramhal, Tarathpora, Teetwal, and Tangdhar blocks.

Baramulla district recorded 69.12 per cent voting in five blocks of Kunzer, Uri, Pareenpeela, Noorkhah and Kandi belt. Ganderbal district recorded 11. 9 per cent voting in the lone Sumbal halqa of Gund block. As many as 21 candidates have been elected unopposed for the panch constituencies while nine have been chosen as sarpanch unopposed. There are 84 vacant panch constituencies and five vacant sarpanch constituencies in the Gund block.

In Bandipora district, 55.7 per cent voting was recorded in Gurez, Baktore and Tuleil blocks which are a part of the Gurez Assembly constituency close to the LoC. The Gurez block recorded the highest turnout of 66 per cent. In Srinagar district, the Khonmoh block recorded 21.8 per cent voting while the Khansahib block in the nearby Budgam district recorded 30.1 per cent polling.

The polling was held at 3,296 polling stations across the state, including 1,303 in Kashmir and 1,993 in the Jammu division from 8 am to 2 pm. It was held in Keran, Ramhal, Tarathpora, Teetwal and Tangdar areas of Kupwara district; Gurez, Baktoor and Tulail in Bandipora; Kunzer, Uri, Parenpillan, Noorkhah, Kandi-Belt Rafiabad of Baramulla district; Gund in Ganderbal district; Khanmoh in Srinagar and Khansahib in Budgam district.