Defying bitter cold, Ladakh records 65.5% voting

JAMMU: Amid shivering and intense cold weather conditions, the arid Ladakh region on Saturday recorded a high polling in the first phase of the nine-phase panchayat poll with the turnout touching 65.5 per cent in remote villages of Leh and Kargil districts of the region.

Arteev Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 17

Amid shivering and intense cold weather conditions, the arid Ladakh region on Saturday recorded a high polling in the first phase of the nine-phase panchayat poll with the turnout touching 65.5 per cent in remote villages of Leh and Kargil districts of the region.

The overall voting percentage in Kargil district was 70.92 per cent, while the remote and snowbound parts of Leh district witnessed 65 per cent polling and it was expected to go up to 70 per cent as reports from inaccessible areas were yet to be compiled.

In Drass, at least 63.60 per cent voters braved harsh weather conditions and turned up to polling stations. The polling was held in 10 blocks — six in Leh and four in Kargil — in the region. For inaccessible areas, the administration had to use choppers for ferrying polling staff and material to polling stations. In total, at least 31 blocks comprising 16 in Leh and 15 in Kargil would go to the polls in three phases of the elections.

As anticipated, the voting process was very slow during the first four hours (8 am to 12 pm) out of total six hours scheduled for polling in both the districts in view of biting cold conditions. In the first two hours (from 8 am to 10 am), only 3.3 per cent and 3.6 per cent votes were polled in Kargil and Leh districts respectively, while the total poll percentage till 12 noon was just 14.6 and 23.6 in Kargil and Leh, respectively.

The voters, however, came out in large numbers as weather showed some improvement. “The overall voting was 65 per cent and we are yet to get the details from the inaccessible areas and it is expected to go up to 70 per cent,” Udham Dass Sharma, Deputy District Election Officer, Leh, said.

In Leh, a total of 142 polling stations were set up in six blocks comprising Durbuk, Kharu, Nyoma Rong, Rupshu and Singay Lalok in the first phase while the number of polling stations for four blocks in Kargil comprised Drass, Lungnak, Barsoo and Tai-Suru was 155. As many as 15 sarpanches and 336 panches have been declared elected unopposed in both the districts in this phase.