All time high 75.2 pc turnout in Phase-III of Panchayat polls

Women queue up outside a polling station in Udhampur on Saturday.
Women queue up outside a polling station in Udhampur on Saturday.

Retd Capt killed, others injured in violence
Jammu records 83 pc polling, Kashmir 55.7
Sanjeev Pargal/Fayaz Bukhari
JAMMU/SRINAGAR, Nov 24: An all time high voting turnout of 75.2 percent was witnessed in the ongoing Panchayat elections in Phase-III today in which polling was held for 358 Panchayats including 358 Sarpanch and 1652 Panch segments spread over 14 districts in all three regions of the State even as first incident of poll related violence was reported from Thathri in Doda district today, where a retired Captain was killed and two civilians were injured as two barring groups of contestants clashed after the counting.
Stray incidents of violence were also reported from some areas in twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri today in which about dozen persons were injured but voting followed by counting concluded uninterruptedly.
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Ninety six Sarpanchs and 1437 Panchs have already been declared elected as unopposed in Phase-III of Panchayat elections today, official sources told the Excelsior.
They said 75.2 percent turnout in the elections for 358 Panchayats today was the highest in all three phases as voting percentage was 74.1 and 71.1 in first and second phases respectively.
Jammu region recorded huge turnout of 83 percent while Kashmir division also registered impressive figure of 55.7 percent. Voting percentage in first two phases in Jammu was 79.4 and 80.4 while it was 64.5 and 52.2 for Kashmir division.
As many as 3.2 lakh electorates exercised their right to franchise during today’s voting from 8 am to 2 pm, Chief Electoral Officer, Shaleen Kabra said.
Polling for fourth phase will be held on November 27, Kabra said.
Highest voting turnout was today recorded in the border district of Poonch where 87.8 percent votes were cast while the lowest voting percentage of 12 percent was reported from Ganderbal district of Kashmir.
Out of seven districts of Jammu region, where Panchayat elections were held today, six accounted for above 80 turnout.
Ramban district came second with 85.7 percent polling followed by Kishtwar 84.9, Udhampur 83.6, Kathua 83.2, Rajouri 80.3 and Doda 77.4.
Voting turnout was also quite significant in four out of five districts of Kashmir region, which went to polls today.
Kupwara recorded 59.7 percent turnout followed by Bandipora 51 percent, Budgam 40.9, Baramulla 30.8 and Ganderbal 12.
In Ladakh region, 75.6 percent polling was registered in Kargil district and 64.1 percent in Leh.
Soon after polling was completed at 2773 polling stations set up for 358 Panchayats including 918 in Kashmir division and 1855 in Jammu region, counting was taken up in all 358 Sarpanch and 1652 Panch segments in 14 districts of the State. Majority of the results had been declared by midnight tonight.
A total of 4.23 lakh voters were eligible for Sarpanch constituencies and 2.7 lakh for Panch segments in today’s polling.
Meanwhile, first major poll related violence incident was today reported from Thathri area of Kishtwar district in which retired honorary Army Captain was killed and six others were injured, two of them seriously when two rival groups of contestants clashed at Joura Khurd Panchayat in Kahara block of Thathri in Doda district this evening after counting was over.
Supporters of one of the candidates, who lost the election, started stone pelting on the others, leading to clash and exchange of stone pelting which continued for half an hour till some locals and police parties, which reached the spot, intervened.
The deceased has been identified as Mohammad Hafeez alias Hafeez Fouzi, 60, son of Mohammad Shaffi, a resident of Joura Khurd and a retired honorary Captain of the Army. Two seriously injured persons were identified as Hoshiyar Singh and Dheeraj Kumar, also residents of Joura Khurd. Four other persons also sustained minor injuries in the clash.
Police parties reached the spot and have detained some suspects while hunt was on to nab the accused. A case has been registered for further investigations.
Situation was brought under control by the senior police officers. However, tension prevailed among the people.
Meanwhile, police in Rajouri today detained two Panch candidates from a polling station in Fatehpur Gurian Panchayat for poll related troubles whereas few persons were injured in scuffles during the polling.
In Fatehpur Gurian Panchayat, confrontation took place between supporters of two Panch candidates and both sides came to blows after which police teams reached the polling station. Both the Panch candidates were taken in preventive custody.
Polling remained affected for half an hour.
At Government Middle School Chehrian polling station for Ward No. 9 of Kote Dhara Panchayat of Rajouri, scuffle took place between agents of two candidates.
After initial confrontation, situation took ugly turn and both sides exchanged blows and also resorted to stone pelting on each other. People also gheraoed the polling booth.
Polling remained suspended for an hour and few persons on both sides received minor injuries.
Later, extra police force was rushed to the spot and situation was brought under control.
Polling in Ward No. 3 of Muradpur Panchayat was suspended for about an hour after some people from the area alleged that staff of Rural Development Department had deleted some genuine voters from the lists.
Meanwhile, in Fatehpur and Muradur Panchayats of Rajouri, small incidents of scuffle between supporters of barring candidates took place last night.
However, no one was injured.
In another incident that took place this evening, a man got injured.
As per an official, supporter of a runner-up candidate was moving back to his home when some miscreants beat-up him.
He has been shifted to district hospital.
Tension prevailed at Seklu Panchayat halqa of Poonch’s Sathra block when some persons pelted stones on the winning candidate as he was coming out of the counting hall.
“Stones were pelted on the winning candidates while he was coming out of counting hall which led to panic in the area,” sources said.
They added that soon after the incident, police personnel deployed on the spot acted swiftly and brought the situation under control.
A Special Police Officer (SPO) was booked for election campaigning in violation of the Model Code of Conduct in Rajouri district.
Fayaz Ahmed from Darhal was booked by police after reports that he was campaigning for a family member who was contesting the polls, reports said.
According to sources, reports of several other Government employees indulging in election campaigning were also being probed.
Long queues of voters could be seen outside majority of polling stations in all seven districts of Jammu region that went to polls today with people turning out in large numbers to cast their votes, right from 8 am. In some of the polling stations, people had started queuing up much before start of the voting process.
Meanwhile, amid shut down in the poll bound area of Kashmir and cold weather conditions, 55.7 percent turnout was recorded in the third phase of Panchayat elections.
In Kashmir division, majority of the Panch and Sarpanch seats are either vacant or they were won uncontested but in the areas which went to polls saw heavy turnout and in many areas people stayed away from the process.
At Singpora in district Baramulla, large numbers of people were waiting for their turn to vote despite freezing cold. The voters were enthusiastic to vote.
Dr Tara Singh, a voter in Singhpora in district Baramulla who had come to vote was upbeat. “People are happy and they want to vote for betterment of the village. You can see, young, old, women, youth are here in the polling booth to vote. There is much enthusiasm in them. We want to vote for redressal of local issue like link roads, drains, tube wells etc. People want to vote here so that there is strong Pachayat that takes care of the development of the village”, he said.
In nearby Delina, there were hardly any voters as majority of the people stayed away from poll process. Till 11 a.m, only three people had cast their votes.
District Final %age
Kupwara 59.7%
Bandipora 51.0%
Baramulla 30.8%
Ganderbal 12.0%
Budgam 75.6%
Kargil 64.1%
Leh 84.9%
Kishtwar 77.4%
Doda 85.7%
Ramban 83.8%
Udhampur 83.2%
Kathua 80.3%
Rajouri 87.8%
Poonch 87.8%
J&K 75.2%
Kashmir Div 55.7%
Jammu Div 83.0%

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