Phase 12 of panchayat polls ends in Jammu and Kashmir
May 29th, 2011 - 4:00 pm ICT by IANSSrinagar, May 29 (IANS) Polling for the 12th phase of panchayat elections in nine blocks of Jammu and Kashmir ended Sunday afternoon with enthusiastic voters braving the summer heat to elect representatives for grassroot level governance.
Voting started at 8 a.m. and ended at 2 p.m.
Baramulla, Kakapora and Achabal in the Kashmir Valley and Paddar, Nagseni, Ghat Doda, Gool, Mandi and Poonch blocks in the Jammu region went to the polls Sunday.
Large numbers of voters lined up outside the polling stations in south Kashmir’s Kakapora and Achabal blocks and in north Kashmir’s Baramulla block.
At many polling stations women outnumbered the men.
Till 12 noon, Achabal recorded 45 percent voting, Baramulla 49 percent and Kakapora 30 percent polling.
There are 847 candidates, including eight women, contesting for 235 posts of sarpanchs or village heads in the 12th phase.
Besides this, 2,967 candidates, including 870 women, are in the fray for 1,783 village council posts.
Votes will be counted at the polling stations Sunday and results declared on the spot in presence of the contesting candidates.
The panchayat polls are being held in the state after a gap of 10 years. The polls are being held in 16 phases and will end June 16.
As the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act does not provide the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs), paper ballots are being used.
- Massive turnout in Jammu and Kashmir local polls (Lead) - Apr 17, 2011
- Large participation in Kashmir third phase panchayat polls (Lead) - Apr 21, 2011
- Kashmir holds peaceful panchayat polls - May 16, 2011
- Third phase of panchayat polls begin in Jammu and Kashmir - Apr 21, 2011
- High turnout in fourth round of Kashmir panchayat polls - Apr 25, 2011
- Sluggish voting in 11th phase of Kashmir panchayat polls - May 25, 2011
- Kashmir holds second phase of panchayat polls - Apr 17, 2011
- Polling ends in round eight of Kashmir panchayat elections - May 12, 2011
- Kashmir panchayat polls see large turnout again - May 04, 2011
- Fifth phase of panchayat polls begin in Kashmir - Apr 30, 2011
- Third phase of panchayat polls begins in Kashmir - Apr 21, 2011
- Kashmir panchayat polls begin Wednesday - Apr 13, 2011
- 14th phase of Kashmir panchayat polls ends - Jun 06, 2011
- Panchayat polls begin in Kashmir - Apr 13, 2011
- Kashmir panchayat candidate injured in firing - May 10, 2011
Tags: doda, electronic voting machines, gap, ghat, gool, governance, jammu and kashmir, jammu region, kashmir, kashmir valley, large numbers, mandi, north kashmir, panchayat elections, paper ballots, polling stations, south kashmir, srinagar, summer heat, sunday afternoon