J-K polls: About 55 per cent voting in first phase

ROUND ONE OVER: According to the EC, the highest turnout of 74 per cent was recorded in Gurez.

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New Delhi: The first phase of polling for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections saw about 55 electorate casting their votes.

Despite heavy snowfall and the separatists' call for boycott of polls, all the 10 Assembly constituencies going to polls in the first phase saw a good voter turnout.

According to the Election Commission of India, the highest turnout of 74 per cent was recorded in Gurez in the Kashmir Valley while Bandipora and Sonawari recorded the lowest turnout at 42 per cent each.

In the Jammu region, Mendhar recorded at 65.3 per cent polling. Kargil and Leh recorded 57 and 53 per cent turnout respectively. The other constituencies - Poonch (64), Surankote (58), Nobra (55), Zanskar (48) - too saw a good voter turnout.

Barring an anti-poll protest by a group of few hundred people, who were chased away by the police at Bandipora, polling remained by and large peaceful.

Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra said the "large" turn-out of voters in the first phase of elections in the state was a refection of the people's faith in the democratic process.

"The participation of people in large numbers, despite cold weather particularly in the valley and Ladakh region, reflects their deep faith in democracy," Vohra said.

"The electorate confidently sustained their commitment and trust in the power of ballot," Vohra said, while expressing hope that larger voter-turnout will be witnessed in the remaining six phase of Assembly elections.

He also lauded people for enabling the peaceful conduct of the polls.

Srinagar, Bandipora and other towns were almost totally locked down, as thousands of troops were out in force to prevent anti-election rallies.

A total of 102 candidates are in the fray and approximately 3.38 lakh voters were entitled to cast their votes.

(With inputs from PTI)