Jammu: The voter across all the age groups and gender Saturday flocked polling booths amid last phase of District Development Council and Panchayat Elections held for 15 DDC constituencies in 10 districts of Jammu Division.
The Fate of 85 contesting candidates has to be decided in the polling held for Kishtwar and Trigam DDC Constituencies in Kishtwar District, DDC constituency Keerian Gandyal in Kathua District; Ramnagar-I and Ramnagar -II DDC constituencies in Udhampur district; Khaur DDC Constituency in Jammu district; Rajghar DDC Constituency in Ramban District, Assar DCC Constituency in Doda District; Samba-A and Samba-B DDC Constituencies in Samba district; Mankote and Mendhar-c DDC Constituency in Poonch district; Sunderbani and Darhal DDC Constituency in Rajouri District and Reasi DDC Constituency in Reasi district.
Like in past seven phases, the polling for phase -8 too was held peacefully amid huge participation of voters across all groups and genders.
First Time voter Taniya, 18 cast her vote at Polling booth DPC Pacca Chumber- DDC constituency Keerian Gandyal in Kathua District, while centenarian Kamlo Devi (100) voted at Polling Booth Kainta and specially abled, Memma Begum, 29 voted at Polling Booth Basantpur of the same DDC Constituency. Another First time voter Kamani Sharma, voted at Government Middle School Dhaleri- Khour – Jammu District.
Same trend of huge female participation was witnessed in Chenab region districts of Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban. Ram Rakhi,89 voted at PS village Mari at DDC Constituency Reasi, specially abeld, Hanifa Begum polled her vote at Middle School Rajgarh-Ramban. Serpentine queues of the female voters were seen in Assar amid chilling climatic condition.
The maiden DDC elections in Jammu & Kashmir have witnessed huge participation of women voters across the age-groups in all phases. Primarily being the rural elections, the participation of the village female folk is being viewed as a very encouraging sign for the democracy and democratic participation in Jammu & Kashmir.
Several elderly and first time male voters, including centenarians also voted at different polling booths. Among them Dev Singh, 90 cast his vote at Polling Booth GMS Pallanwala- Khour Block, Jammu District, while Tittru Din, 120 cast his vote at Polling Booth GMS Karroh, block Keerian Gandyal, Kathua and Mohammad Akram, 90 casted his vote at Assar, Doda. Similarly octogenarian Mohammad Latief voted at Darhal, while West Pakistani Refugee Jai Singh voted for the first time in a local elections at Polling Booth Budwal- Khour Block. Among the young voters, Amit Kumar, 19 voted at PS, Government Primary School Chumber Panchayat, Keerian Gandyal.
