In fifth phase of DDC polls, 34% turnout in Valley, 66% in Jammu

At a polling station in Chonthimulla in Bandipora district on Thursday. (Express photo by Shuaib Masoodi)

AS VOTERS in north Kashmir showed up at polling booths in large numbers on Thursday, the polling percentage in the fifth phase of District Development Council (DDC) elections increased marginally in the valley, despite low turnout in the southern parts. While Kashmir recorded 33.57 per cent polling, Jammu registered 66 per cent polling, taking the overall turnout in the union territory to 51.20 per cent, officials said.

Election Commissioner K K Sharma told reporters said in Jammu that the fifth phase of elections for 37 seats – 17 in Kashmir division and 20 in Jammu division – was peaceful.

Amid allegations from former chief minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti that security forces cordoned off a village to prevent voters from coming out to vote, Pulwama and Shopian districts recorded low turnout. According to official figures, Shopian recorded a turnout of 5.52 per cent while the neighbouring Pulwama recorded 8.12 per cent voting.

Mufti accused the security forces of preventing voters from coming out to vote in a Shopian village. “Security forces have cordoned Matribugh (village) in Shopian and are not allowing people to come out to vote under the pretext of inputs about presence of militants. In a brazen display of power, armed forces are being used to rig this election and favour a particular party,” Mufti tweeted, tagging the Army and Election Commission.

The other south Kashmir districts – Anantnag and Kulgam – recorded comparatively better turnout on Thursday. While Anantnag polled 21.89 per cent, Kulgam recorded 26.94 per cent.

In Jammu division, Poonch district recorded the highest percentage of 71.62 per cent, followed by Doda with 70.95 per cent and Rajouri with 70.83 per cent voting. The lowest turnout in this division was in Jammu district, which recorded 60.24 per cent. —With inputs from ENS, Jammu

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