Srinagar: Kashmir Valley on Tuesday recorded 30.3 percent voter turnout in the phase-VII of the nine-phased Panchayat elections. While Kupwara recorded highest turnout of 45 percent, Anantnag, Budgam and Baramulla recorded less that 18 percent voting. Budgam recorded lowest 13.1 percent, Anantnag 15.5 percent while Baramulla saw 17.8 percent voting, the election officials said. Ganderbal, the other central district, saw a voter turnout of 30.9 percent voting. Jammu division recorded 84.8 percent polling and the Jammu and Kashmir as a whole saw 75.3 percent turnout, the officials added.
The voting began at 8 am at 2,714 polling stations – 576 in Kashmir division and 2,138 in Jammu division, they said.
The officials said 892 polling stations were categorised as “hypersensitive” in this phase, including 428 in Kashmir division and 464 in Jammu division.
They said 5,575 candidates are in the fray for 341 sarpanch and 1,798 panch seats, while 85 sarpanch and 912 panch have been elected unopposed in this phase.
An electorate of 4,75,865 were eligible to vote for sarpanch constituencies and 3,45,880 for panch constituencies, the officials said.
