New Delhi:
Ballots prevailed over bullets as Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday recorded an impressive voter turnout of 75.3 per cent in the seventh phase of panchayat elections across the state. While a total of 84.8 per cent voters exercised their franchise in Jammu division, Kashmir registered an overall voter turnout of 30.3 per cent on Tuesday.
The seventh phase of Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat elections took place in as many as 30 blocks in 15 districts of the state. While 14 blocks of six districts in Jammu took part in the seventh phase of election, 16 blocks falling in nine districts of Kashmir valley casted their votes on Tuesday.
"Jammu And Kashmir: 75.3% voter turnout recorded for the 7th phase of polling for Panchayat elections; 30.3% voters cast vote in Kashmir division and 84.8% in Jammu division," the news agency ANI reported.
#JammuAndKashmir: 75.3% voter turnout recorded for the 7th phase of polling for Panchayat elections; 30.3% voters cast vote in Kashmir division & 84.8% in Jammu division pic.twitter.com/hmPq8tRMWw
— ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2018
According to officials, 892 polling stations have been categorised as "hypersensitive" in this phase, including 428 in Kashmir division and 464 in Jammu division.
Reasi district witnessed the highest voter turnout at 86.7 per cent followed by Poonch (86.6 per cent) and Rajouri (84 per cent), as per the sate released by the state Election Commission on Tuesday.
About 5,575 candidates are in the fray for 341 sarpanch and 1,798 panch seats, while 85 sarpanch and 912 panch have been elected unopposed in this phase.
The Panchayat elections are being held in nine phases across the state with the last phase of polling slated for December 1. All the seven phases of Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat elections witnessed high voter turnouts despite terror threat and boycott called by two mainstream regional parties - Farooq Abdullah's National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Mehbooba Mufti.
The sixth phase of panchayat elections recorded 73.6 per cent voter turnout on Saturday.
