Inclement weather and a boycott call by separatists and Maoists did not deter voters from turning out in large numbers for the second phase of polling in Jammu & Kashmir and Jharkhand respectively.
While polling for 18 Assembly segments in J&K saw over 71 per cent voter turnout, nearly 66 per cent voters exercised their franchise for 20 constituencies in Jharkhand.A total number of 175 candidates were in the fray in the second phase of elections in Jammu & Kashmir. The Election Commission had set up 2,186 polling stations for over 15.42 lakh voters to ensure free and fair polling amid tight security arrangements.
Briefing reporters in Jammu, Chief Electoral Officer Umang Narula said: “The second phase of polling passed off peacefully recording over 71 per cent voter turnout.”
In Jammu division district Reasi recorded the highest voter turnout of over 80 per cent. Gulabgarh Assembly segment, currently represented by National Conference legislator Abdul Gani Malik recorded the highest voter turnout of 80.73 per cent while Gool Arnas recorded 80.28 per cent and Reasi Assembly segment recorded over 80 per cent voter turnout.
In 2008, all these Assembly segments had recorded over 75 per cent voter turnout. In 2008 the BJP had won Reasi, National Conference Gulabgarh and Congress Gool Arnas Assembly seat.
The three Assembly seats falling in Udhampur district recorded over 75 per cent voter turnout. The BJP was aiming to perform better in this district. The party has thrown an open challenge to two senior leaders of Panthers Party. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other star campaigners of the party had canvassed aggressively in the area to woo the electorate.
As per preliminary reports Udhampur Assembly segment witnessed a triangular contest between the sitting legislator of Panthers Party Balwant Mankotia and BJP nominee Pawan Khajuria and dissident candidate Pawan Gupta.
Chenani, a reserved seat in Udhampur currently held by the Congress recorded 75.48 per cent polling. Ramnagar, from where three-time sitting MlA Harsh Dev Singh of Panthers Party is defending his fort, also recorded 75.19 per cent polling. He is facing a tough challenge from BJP’s RS Pathania who recently joined the party after leaving the Congress.
The frontier Poonch district where Congress, National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are locked in a triangular contest on all three Assembly seats, recorded over 70 per cent polling.Barring a comparatively low turnout in Homeshalibugh segment in South Kashmir, voters again turned up in large numbers in Kupwara and Kulgam districts of Kashmir Valley. They defied separatist’s call for boycott and braved chilly weather to cast their votes.
Nine constituencies went to polls on Tuesday in Kashmir Valley with Noorabad segment in Kulgam continuing its record of high voter turnout as 77.6 per cent of voters received the ink-mark on their fingers. The frontier Karnah segment in Kupwara polled 75 per cent votes while Handwara and langate recorded identical figures of 71 per cent each.
Many voters said that they came out to exercise their franchise in order to bring about political change in the region. They voted for development and secure future for their next generations.While the NC is fighting a tough battle to retain its traditional constituencies of Handwara, Karnah and Kupwara, the PDP’s nerve would be tested in Noorabad , Homeshalibugh and Devsar constituencies.
Surprisingly, Homeshalibugh constituency recorded the lowest turnout of 36.5 per cent votes.A journalist from the area Farooq Rather told The Pioneer that the area has a sizeable influence of Jamaat-e-Islami, a politico-religious organisation that quit electoral politics after eruption of militancy in Kashmir. “The Jamaat voters have not turned up in support of the boycott call by separatists”, he said.
The most interesting contest would be observed in Kulgam segment where three-time legislator MY Tarigami of CPM is seeking re-election.
Reports from Ranchi said that phase two of the Assembly elections held in 20 constituencies, including 16 reserved for tribals, spread across Kolhan and South Chotanagpur registered higher turnout at 65.65 per cent with impressive figures for Jamshedpur (East) and Jamshedpur (West) compared to the elections conducted in 2009.
The office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Jharkhand signaled at the voter awareness drive and continued efforts to update voters’ list to eliminate ‘ghost voters’ besides, a host of other measures to be the reasons for higher polling percentage in Jamshedpur-East and Jamshedpur-West. While Jamshedpur-East (45.14 per cent in 2009) registered a polling percentage of 58 per cent, Jamshedpur-West registered (42.15 per cent in 2009) 60 per cent polling in the Assembly election.
“We had a challenge to bring urban people out of their houses. We introduced programmes by keeping apathy in urban areas in focus and it is the result of these programmes that polling percentage has been good in Jamshedpur,” maintained CEO of Jharkhand, PK Jajoria.
Nonetheless, the encouraging aspect of the election has been no report of violence despite 262 extremely sensitive and 196 sensitive booths in 20 constituencies that went to poll in phase-2. Heavy deployment was made at booths in dense forests in Arki, Tamar, Khunti, Kolebira and ultra dominated lapung under Mandar constituency.