Panchayat polls: 64.5 % turn out in 4 valley distts, 79.5% in Jmu div,77% in Kargil

Srinagar: Voting for the first phase of panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir ended with 79.5 per cent of voter turnout in Jammu division and 64.5 per cent in Kashmir Valley.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Jammu and Kashmir Shaleen Kabra, while sharing voting details of the first phase of the panchayat polls, said, “This is an unbelievable performance in Jammu & Kashmir. Polling has been unbelievably brisk and high today. It sets the tempo for the next eight phases of the election in the state.”
As much as 21.8 per cent voter turnout was recorded in Srinagar, 30.14 per cent in Budgam, 70 per cent in Kupwara, 69.1 per cent in Baramulla, 56.2 in Bandipora, 51.5 per cent in Leh and 77.7 per cent in Kargil.
While, 74.1 per cent turnout was recorded in Kishtwar, 78.9 per cent in Rajouri, 78.7 per cent in Poonch, 83.6 per cent in Udhampur, 80.8 per cent in Doda, 80 percent in Kathua and 78.2 per cent in Ramban.
Polling was held in 29 blocks of seven districts in Jammu Division and in the Kashmir region polling was held in 16 blocks spread over six districts. In Leh district of Ladakh region, polling was held in all the six blocks of the district.
The second phase of polling is scheduled for November 20. The panchayat elections are being held in Jammu and Kashmir in nine phases.