news details |
|
|
| CEO says 57 % voted, ‘polls were peaceful’ | | One killed, several injured in South Kashmir clashes | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Jammu, Dec 13: Amidst reports of clashes from various places in Kathua district and violence in south Kashmir, an impressive 57 per cent overall polling has been recorded in eleven constituencies of three districts that went to polls Saturday.
While five constituencies of Kathua district have registered an overall poll percentage of 66 per cent in two districts of South Kashmir the overall turnout was a little below 50 per cent. Chief Electoral Officer BR Sharma told a news conference here this evening that overall percentage in three districts was 57 per cent. “It is expected to go up significantly as reports from many areas were yet to come”, said Sharma.
One person was killed an several others injured in South Kashmir when security forces opened fire to quell anti-election demonstrators. Reports of clashes have reported from many places in Shopian and Pulwama where polling remained invariably suspended at different polling stations.
Reports from Kathua said that polling was suspended Jodai polling station where West Pakistani refugees protested cancellation of their votes. National Highway was closed at Barnoti for quite some time as protested for snag in Electronic Voting Machines.
Reports said that one person was killed and six others, including three policemen, were injured in clashes between anti-poll agitators and securitymen in in South Kashmir, leading to temporary suspension of polling at three polling stations of the district. Three persons were injured in the clashes between securitymen and anti-poll agitators at Quil village as law enforcing agencies fired in air and lobbed teargas shells to disperse the violent protesters who were trying to march towards the Pulwama district headquarters to disrupt the polling, officials sources said.
They said one of the injured identified as Muzamil Ahmad Ganai succumbed at the SMHS hospital in Srinagar. he anti-poll protesters took to streets and pelted stones at the security forces when they stopped them from marching towards Pulwama, the sources said.
The polling was temporarily suspended in the polling station, the sources said, adding that a photo journalist of AFP, Rauf Bhat, was hit by a stone while covering the incident. hree policemen were injured in the clash that took place outside a polling booth at Karimabad between the anti-poll agitators and the securitymen, the sources said. olling was temporaily suspended at the polling station due to the clash.
The sources said anti-poll agitators also clashed with security forces outside a polling booth at Chatterhama near Pampore resulting in suspension of the polling. However, there was no report of any casualty in the clash. ulwama witnessed a series of anti-election protests since the election process was set in motion in the state on October 19 as a youth belonging to Tahab village of the district was killed during Amarnath land row.
However, later in the evening, J&K’s Chief Election Officer Sharma said that the polling for 11 Assembly constituencies in Pulwama, Shopian and Kathua districts today went off peacefully and there were no reports of any poll-related untoward incident.
Briefing the media persons about today’s polling in the fifth phase of J&K Assembly Elections 2008 here this evening, Mr. Sharma said that as per preliminary reports, 57 per cent overall voter turnout was recorded in these 11 Assembly constituencies. He, however, added that while information regarding polling percentage from certain far-flung polling stations in various constituencies is pouring in and the compilation is still in progress, the poll percentage is likely to go up further. While stating that reports about the polling figures from three polling stations in Kathua Assembly constituency, where polling ended a short while ago, are yet to be added to the overall poll percentage, the CEO said that the information regarding poll percentage from Bani, Pulwama and Shopian areas are tentative.
Giving details of the tentative polling percentage in the 11 Assembly constituencies, the CEO said that Tral constituency recorded 50 per cent voter turnout, Pampore 47, Pulwama 45.14, Rajpora 45, Wachi 46.56, Shopian 49.57, Bani 76.40, Basohli 71, Kathua 64, Billawar 65 and Hiranagar Assembly constituency recorded 63 per cent voter turnout.
Giving district-wise poll percentage, Mr. Sharma said that Pulwama recorded about 47 per cent voter turnout, Shopian 48 and Kathua over 66 per cent.
The CEO said that various complaints were received during the day, which were enquired into and found baseless. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
