Baramulla records 40%, Ladakh 65%

SRINAGAR/LEH: Baramulla recorded 40% turnout and Ladakh 65%, as the final phase of polling came to an end on Wednesday. Voting did not take place in two polling stations in Zanskar as polling staff could not land there following inclement weather. The turnout continued with the overall trend of improvement over 2004 polls. Baramulla polled 35.65% in 2004 and 56.69% in 2008 assembly polls. With 67% polling, Handwara recorded the highest among assembly segments and Sopore lowest at 12%.

Chief electoral officer B R Sharma said ���there were 19 complaints but all of them proved incorrect. My office spent Rs 50 crore for holding assembly elections but this time it was only Rs 15 crore but it excludes what police and other security agencies might have spent,��� he said. Boycott call by separatists did not have much effect in Ladakh seat as voters thronged 476 polling booths since morning to exercise their franchise.

While voters in Leh said they are voting for development of the district, their counterparts in Kargil said they wanted the reopening of the Kargil-Skardu road and friendship between India and Pakistan.