Barring a few incidents of violence both in Jammu and Kashmir divisions, the fifth phase of polling during District Development council polls passed off peacefully with over 51 percent voter turnout on Thursday.
Addressing a press conference in Jammu late Thursday evening State Election Commissioner KK Sharma said, “Jammu division recorded over 66 percent voter turnout while Kashmir region witnessed 33.57 percent voter turnout during the fifth phase of polling across 37 constituencies, 17 in Kashmir and 20 in Jammu region”.
The frontier districts of Rajouri and Poonch recorded the highest voter turnout of 70 percent in Jammu region while Bandipora and Kupwara witnessed over 50 percent polling in Kashmir region followed by Budgam which witnessed over 45 percent polling.
Referring to the sporadic incidents of violence reported from Anantnag and Rajouri, the SEC said, “FIR's were booked by the local police in both the cases to identify the miscreants involved in these incidents”. He said, barring few incidents the polling process was completed peacefully across Jammu and Kashmir.
In both the regions, Centurions led from the front and walked on foot, with help from close family members, to cast their precious vote with an aim to strengthen the grass root democracy in J&k. Women and first timers also participated in large numbers and waited for their turn outside polling stations.
The State Election Commissioner KK Sharma himself posted over half a dozen images of voters, including centurions from Ramban, Kathua, Baramulla and other district headquarters to motivate common voters to participate in the polling process.
In Anantnag a few miscreants attempted to disrupt the poll process and when media teams arrived on the scene the security personnel,deployed in the Sirigufwara area struggled to restore order and prevent chaotic scenes.
In the melee few media persons alleged they were manhandled by one of the senior district police officers. Their camera equipment was also seized by the police team. In another incident workers belonging to two different political parties clashed outside a polling station in Rajouri.
Some of the workers who were attacked by the workers of a regional party received injuries and rushed to a nearby hospital.
