 S Tahir-ul Haq
Early Times Report
BARAMULLA, Nov 29: Voting for the fifth phase of panchayat elections has been completed today and Kupwara has recorded highest voter turnout till fifth phase, According to official sources, Kupwara witnessed 42.5% , followed by Bandipora 34.6%, and Baramulla 32.9%.
Official sources said that more than 2,500 polling booths were set up for the fifth phase, including 769 polling stations and 1,743 centers of Jammu division.
A total of 848 polling booths, including 755 polling booths of Kashmir division and 93 polling stations of Jammu division, were placed in the highly sensitive category, said sources. They said that, 118 sarpanchs and 1,046 panchs have been elected unopposed in this phase, while as 4,763 candidates were in a fray for 309 sarpanch posts and 1,534 for panch positions.
The local sources said that there were total 7 places in north Kashmir were voting for fifth phase of panchayat polls held today including Langate, Wavoora, and Sogam in Kupwara district, Aloosa in Bandipora district and Zaingeer, Sherabad Khor, and Lalpora in Baramulla district. "Amid harsh cold and strike call from separatists in poll bound areas, tight security arrangements were also put in place and despite that people use their votes, and there was a huge participation of voters in all the three districts of north Kashmir, said sources.
Meanwhile sources said that there were some minor stone pelting incidents in Sopore area, after the slain militant was laid to rest in his hometown village.
Sources said that the funeral prayers of the slain militant who was killed in a gunfight with forces along with top Lashkar Commander Naveed Jatt in Budgam on Wednesday were held in Iqbal Market Sopore.
Though a huge deployment of security forces was placed for the safety of voters and polling staff in Zaingeer area of Sopore town, however polling ended peacefully in the area. |
