Jammu, (Samajweekly) State Election Commissioner (SEC) K.K. Sharma said on Thursday that over 51 per cent of people voted across 37 seats in the fifth phase of District Development Council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir, which passed off peacefully without any major untoward incident.
The SEC informed this while interacting with the media after the conclusion of the fifth phase polling.
While giving a brief about Thursday’s elections, the SEC said that a large number of people came out to cast their votes. Sharma said that polling was peaceful and people participated enthusiastically despite severe cold conditions in Kashmir division and in some hilly areas of Jammu division.
Polling was been peaceful in the 37 constituencies of DDC, including 17 in Kashmir division and 20 in Jammu division that witnessed 51.20 per cent polling, he added.
He also informed that polling was held in 2,104 polling stations, including 1,190 in Kashmir division and 914 in Jammu division.
The SEC further said 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 at 70.95 per cent and Rajouri at 70.83 per cent. The lowest turnout in Jammu division was in Jammu district which recorded 60.24 per cent polling.
The 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 at 52.35 per cent and Budgam at 45.65 per cent.
Giving district-wise details, the 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 Shopian 5.52 per cent.
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.