SRINAGAR: In the seventh of the nine-phase panchayat polls, which was held amid tight security measures in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, Kashmir recorded 30.3 per cent voter turnout while the overall poll percentage in the state was 75.3 per cent.
The polling was held in 12 districts of the state today. Of the 12 districts that went to polls, six were in Kashmir and six others in Jammu region. The police and paramilitary personnel had taken over security of the polling booths yesterday while security forces had sanitised all the areas around the polling stations.
The security personnel had set up nakas and checkpoints at some vulnerable areas going to polls today to maintain tight vigil and foil protests. In Kashmir, the voter turn out was good in border district of Kupwara but in other districts, it remained low.
However, in the Jammu region, brisk polling was reported from the morning. 105-year-old woman Rano Devi cast her vote at village Badheri Block Samba in Samba district. She was helped to the polling booth by her relatives.
Similarly, an 80-year-old blind woman also cast her vote in a polling booth in Samba district.98-year-old Sikh man, Tinu Singh, cast his vote from Ranjhani, Vijapur in Samba district. There were also clashes between two groups of people at Mendhar in Rajouri district. About a dozen persons sustained injuries during the group clashes.
State's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Shaleen Kabra, said 84.8 per cent polling was recorded in Jammu division and 30.3% in Kashmir."The overall voter turnout in the State was 75.3 per cent," he said.