Jammu:
The sixth phase of panch and sarpanch by-elections in Jammu and Kashmir recorded 58.55 per cent and 52.90 per cent voter turnout respectively, poll officials said on Friday. Reasi district in the Jammu division had the highest poll percentage in the Union Territory at 85.41 in the sarpanch bypolls, while Ganderbal district had the highest turnout at 66.26 per cent in the Kashmir division.
”Around 58.55 per cent and 52.90 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the sixth phase of vacant panch and sarpanch bypolls, respectively, held the other day (Sunday),” State Election Commissioner (SEC) K K Sharma told reporters here. Bypolls were held for 334 vacant panch seats in the sixth phase and out of a total of 58,094 electors, including 30,318 men and 27,776 women, 34,012 voted, he said, adding that there were 740 candidates in the fray.
Giving details of overall voter turnout percentage, Sharma said that it was 86.04 in the Jammu division and 57.85 in the Kashmir division for the sixth phase of the panch by-elections. On the sarpanch bypolls, he said that 52.90 per cent voting was registered in 77 vacant constituencies. In this phase, there were 99,454 electors, including 51,748 men and 47,706 women, out of which 52,609 exercised their franchise, Sharma said.
In the Jammu division, 74.92 per cent polling was recorded whereas it was 46.13 per cent in the Kashmir division in the sarpanch bypolls, he said. In the panch by-elections, Doda district in the Jammu division recorded the highest voter turnout of 92.27 per cent followed by Jammu with 87.15 per cent and Udhampur with 84.48 per cent, Sharma said.
In the Kashmir division, Kupwara district recorded 71.70 per cent followed by Kulgam with 67.57 per cent and Ganderbal with 63.50 per cent, he said. On division-wise voter turnout break up for sarpanch bypolls, Sharma said in the Kashmir division, Ganderbal district recorded the highest at 66.26 per cent followed by Bandipora with 54.67 per cent and Baramulla with 51.71 per cent.
In the Jammu division, Reasi district recorded 85.41 per cent turnout followed by Poonch with 80.65 per cent and Rajouri with 79.80 per cent, he said. The SEC said that polling was peaceful and smooth at all polling stations.
