Jehangir Rashid
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Dec 9: Like the previous two phases people in large numbers came out to cast their votes in the 16 Assembly seats spread in North, Central and South Kashmir respectively today. Officials said that around 60 percent electorate cast their votes in these Assembly seats.
Once again the call of separatists to boycott polls was not heeded to by the electorate and there was no impact of threatening posters that surfaced in different areas of Tral and Sopore constituencies over the past few weeks.
Addressing a press conference here this evening, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Jammu & Kashmir, Umang Narula said that about 58 percent voters exercised their franchise in the third phase of elections. Narula said that highest turnout was recorded as 82.14 percent in Charar-i-Sharief Assembly constituency of Budgam district while the lowest was recorded as 30 percent in Sopore Assembly constituency of Baramulla district.
The CEO said that Baramulla district recorded overall voter turnout of 57 percent, Budgam district 73 percent while as in Pulwama the overall voting percentage was 42.45 percent.
"The voting percentage in seven Assembly constituencies of Baramulla district was Uri 79 percent, Rafiabad 63 percent, Sopore 30 percent, Sangrama 56.15 percent, Baramulla 45 percent, Gulmarg 72 percent and Pattan 60 percent," said Narula.
The CEO said that Chadoora, Budgam, Beerwah, Khan Saheb and Charar-i-Sharief constituencies of Budgam district recorded the voting percentage of 65 percent, Budgam 70 percent, Beerwah 74.14 percent, Khan Sahib 73 percent and Charar-i-Sharief 82.14 percent respectively.
"The voting percentage in four Assembly constituencies of Pulwama stood at Tral 37.68 percent, Pampore 46.48 percent, Pulwama 38.31 percent and Rajpora 47.06 percent. As many as 1781 polling stations were set up for the polling in the three districts of Kashmir where polling was held today. These included 129 critical polling stations, 577 hypersensitive polling stations while as the rest were sensitive ones," said Narula.
The CEO said that 144 candidates were in the fray for these 16 constituencies which comprised 13, 69,102 electors including 7, 17, 839 male and 6, 51,245 female voters besides 18 trans-gender voters. He said that web casting was done in 111 Polling Stations while at 118 polling stations digital and at 133 polling stations video cameras were installed for free, fair and smooth conduct of polls.
"For today's polls 16 General Observers, four Expenditure Observers, three Police Observers, one Awareness Observer besides 268 micro observers and about 11,200 poll officials were deployed for the smooth conduct of polls. The polling percentage may increase after consolidation of figures,' said Narula. |
