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| 45 percent electors vote in Udhampur | | Turn out `48pc in Kishtwar, 45 Doda , 33 Ramban, 43, 40 Udhampur and 51 Kathua | | Early Times Report
Jammu, April 23: Over 45 percent of the 1.3 million electorate cast their votes Thursday in Jammu and Kashmir's predominantly mountainous Udhampur parliamentary constituency amid tight security, officials said.The voting ended peacefully in the constituency some segments of which are close to the border with Pakistan and are prone to militant attacks.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), J&K, B. R. Sharma today said that polling in Udhampur Parliamentary constituency (PC), which went to polls in the second phase of the five-phased Lok Sabha elections, was peaceful and incident-free and added that tentatively nearly 45 per cent voter turnout was recorded, which is the same as in 2004 polls. He also said that 56.78 per cent polling was recorded for Bhaderwah Assembly seat, where bye-poll was held along with the Parliamentary elections today.
'There was no untoward incident across the constituency (during the voting),' a poll official said.
He said the final voter turnout in Udhampur was 45 percent, which is less than the average votes polled in the first phase. At least 49.6 percent voters polled in the Jammu parliamentary constituency April 16.
Addressing a largely attended press conference here this evening, which was also attended by Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Dr. Pawan Kotwal and IGP, Jammu Zone, Mr. K. Rajendra, Mr. Sharma said that the elections in the constituency were challenging because of the geographical area involved as well as security-related inputs. “We used two MI 17 and one Cheetah choppers to induct poll parties to remote areas like Marwah and Dachan”, the CEO said.
In order to ensure free, fair and transparent elections, the CEO said that about 421 Micro Observers were deployed, besides 33 videos installed. “Out of over 1900 polling stations, Micro Observers were deployed in 25 per cent of the polling stations”, he said, adding that deployment of Micro Observers helped in fully coordinating the elections process in the constituency.
Mr. Sharma said that for the first time real-time information was available because comprehensive multi-level Communication Plan was put into place across all the polling stations. “Smooth flow of information was possible which allowed us to talk to various Presiding Officers”, he said, adding that absolutely incident-free polling was possible due to micro-level management of security forces and the police.
The Chief Electoral Officer said that only 12 EVMs were replaced across the Parliamentary constituency, attributing it to the effective training of the polling staff. He also said that zero per cent polling was recorded in one polling station at Sarthal, in Kathua district, which was set up for migratory electors.
Giving details of the poll percentage recorded in the six districts of Udhampur PC, Mr. Sharma said that Kishtwar recorded 48.32%, Doda 45.41%, Ramban 33.02%, Reasi 43.91%, Udhampur 39.60% and Kathua recorded poll percentage of 51.57.
Similarly, while giving detailed break-up of Assembly segment-wise voter turnout, Mr. Sharma said that Kishtwar recorded 55 per cent, Inderwal 42, Doda 33, Bhaderwah 57, Ramban 33.50, Banihal 33, Gulabgarh 46, Reasi 42, Gool-Arnas 45, Udhampur 41, Chenani 41, Ramnagar 37, Bani 45, Basohli 55, Kathua 54, Billawar 47 and Hiranagar recorded 53 per cent voter turn out.
For Bhaderwah Assembly bye-poll, a total voter turn out of 56.78 per cent was recorded, which is lower than the Assembly elections 2008 when 65.29 per cent voter turnout was recorded.
The Chief Electoral Officer said that these were provisional figures as final figures will be available only after receiving Presiding Officers’ diaries from all the polling stations of the constituency.
In reply to a question, Sharma said that the CEO’s office will try to remove whatever errors exist in electoral rolls.
While replying to another question, the Chief Electoral Officer said that after successful completion of elections in Jammu division, some forces will be diverted to Kashmir to strengthen the security grid.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Rajendra said that proper coordination between Central and State forces and timely action on intelligence inputs allowed peaceful conduct of polls in the Udhampur Parliamentary elections. He said that constant shaking up of the area was undertaken to ensure that no untoward incident takes place in the area.
Spread over six districts in the Jammu division of the state, Udhampur constituency has 1,362,382 voters. There are 14 candidates in the fray with the contest primarily between sitting MP Lal Singh of the Congress and his BJP rival Nirmal Singh.
After low turnout in the morning, voting percentage picked up in some areas of the constituency. Yet in many of the polling stations, security personnel out numbered the voters even after hours of polling for the second phase.
In the first phase, 49.6 percent turnout was recorded in the Jammu parliamentary constituency.
Meanwhile, a clash between poll agents of the Congress and the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) disrupted the polling process at polling booth number 112 in Gandoh area of Doda district, police sources said.
''The agents of the BJP and the Congress at polling booth number 112 in remote village Talogra of Gandoh area in the bordering district entered into a scuffle and exchanged heated words thus disrupting the electoral process for half an hour early morning,'' sources said.
However, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel deployed at the polling station intervened and controlled the situation, sources added.
Steady polling is being reported across all 17 Assembly segments of Udhampur Parliamentary constituency as well as Bhaderwah Assembly bye-poll, with enthusiastic voters queuing up at various polling stations to repose faith in democracy by casting their votes early morning today.
WHILE THE old defied age, the young voters resisted indifference and came out in large numbers on Thursday (April 23) afternoon to vote for their favourite leaders in the Udhampur parliamentary constituency in Jammu and Kashmir. J&K registered 46 per cent polling, as the final tally came in.
This enthusiasm also boosted the polling percentage after voting began on a very slow note in the morning. An average of 33 per cent voting was recorded at around 1 pm in all the 17 assembly constituencies, which fall under the Udhampur Lok Sabha seat.
Bhaderwah witnessed the maximum polling of around 41.65 per cent, Billawar at 33 per cent, Gool Arnas 32 per cent, Hiranagar 31.54 per cent and Kishtwar witnessed 30.98 per cent.
However, the highlight of the day was the manner in which both the youth and the old alike stood in long queues to cast their votes.
Meenu Gupta, first-time voter, standing outside the polling station Bal Niketan-A001, located at High School, Kishtwar reflected the spirit of young India.
When quizzed about her experience, she said, “Voting gives us the right to elect our representatives who would take decisions for us. One must not shy away from it.”
Another first-timer, Vina Devi was among those to cast her vote by 9.15 a.m. at 8-C PS, set up at Boys Primary school, Lawang-Alwa in Bani assembly segment of Kathua district.
Likewise, Ved Singh, 22 was the first time voter to cast his vote at polling station-33 at Government High School, Batroo-Ramsoo in Ramban assembly segment. Another first-timer, Mohammad Azim Banday from Kalwanti cast his vote at PS-63 in Ramnagar Assembly segment. Among the first-timers also, the enthusiasm among women voters was more visible.
Reflecting the unflinching faith of voters in democracy, the centurions matched the enthusiasm of young in coming out to cast their votes.
At several polling stations across the constituency, old men and women outnumbered the young in coming out to vote.
100-year-old Ghulam Mohammad cast his vote at PS-88 in Basohli segment while Sukh Devi, 100, cast her vote at PS-72 at Boys Middle School, Mahore in Gulabgarh segment.
Escorted by her relatives, 105 year-old Giano Devi proudly displayed her voting sign after coming out of the polling station 31-A at Middle School, Bani.
Interestingly, the senior citizens were clearly ahead of their young counterparts among those who were first to cast their votes at the different polling stations. Saloo Ram, 85 was the first to cast his vote at PS-B-4 at Boys MS, Roulka in Bani segment. Another, Isher Dass, 85, was the first to cast his vote at PS-18 Amrota Girls Primary School.
Physically-challenged, 80-year-old, Ghulam Mustafa was the first voter to cast his vote at PS-11-K at Animal Husbandry department in Kishtwar.
Similarly, Khursheeda Begum, 74, was the first voter to cast her vote at PS-4 in Primary School at Kharpara, Banihal.
As polling came to an end in the six districts of Kishtwar, Ramban, Doda, Reasi, Udhampur and Kathua in the Udhampur Parliamentary constituency, hectic election scenes were witnessed at all the 1,972 polling stations. Though electors were slow in turning up at the polling booths initially, but as the day progressed, so did the polling.
In the hilly districts of Reasi, Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar, voters were seen reaching the polling stations trekking large distances by foot to cast their votes.
In Bhadarwah Assembly segment, where bye-polls were being held along with the Lok Sabha elections, enthusiasm among voters was comparatively higher than the other Assembly segments with people queuing up in long lines to elect their representative in the Assembly and the Parliament.
In Udhampur and Kathua also, despite rising mercury, people kept their date with democracy and steady turnout was reported in almost all the Assembly segments.
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