Jammu & Kashmir registers record 71.28% turnout, Jharkhand records 62%

SRINAGAR/RANCHI/NEW DELHI: Majority of voters in Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand gave a thumbs-up to democracy and rejected boycott calls given by separatists and Maoists, respectively, as the two states went to polls to elect new state assemblies on Tuesday.

In the opening phase of the fivephased polls to both states, Jammu and Kashmir registered a record 71.28% turnout in incident-free elections as people braved even the cold to cast their votes in 15 constituencies. Jharkhand also recorded a high turnout of nearly 62% in 13 Maoistaffected constituencies.

“Polling has gone off absolutely peaceful without any incident. It was 100% flawless polls and there was not a single incident which vitiates poll process,” Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi told reporters in Delhi. Even people in many areas of J&K that generally abstain during elections went to the polling booth. Everywhere people said they were voting for “change”.

“Why I am voting for the first time is to see an improvement in governance,” Muzamil Ahmad said in a village village near Lar in Ganderbal. “It is not a referendum but a vote for the basic issues that every society requires like bijli, sadak, pani.”

Ganderbal, represented by the Abdullahs since 1975, saw an election without them for the first time. Here too people wanted change, even those voting both for and against the National Conference. In neighbouring Kangan, voters were looking to teach a lesson to the dynasty that has been representing the area for nearly four decades.

Incidentally, Ganderbal saw among the lowest polling at 53%. The highest was Sonawari, which polled an astonishing 80.10%. Kangan polled 76.8%. The first phase of polling involved 15 of 87 assembly segments in Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, with 123 candidates in the fray including 12 sitting lawmakers and seven ministers. Around 70% of the 1.05 million voters reported to 1,900 stations to exercise their franchise.

Chief electoral officer Umang Narula said the percentage was high despite the weather. “The poll participation could slightly go up as there are still long lines outside 13 polling stations waiting for their turn,” Narula told a news conference.



(With input from agencies)