Search the Internet          Tips

First phase of J&K panchayat election completed

The first phase of panchayat (rural local body) elections in Jammu & Kashmir was completed on Friday with nearly 68 per cent turnout recorded on the third and final day of polling, which too passed off peacefully.

Voting was conducted in three blocks of Poonch and Rajouri districts, an official spokesman said in Jammu, the state's winter capital.

In Surankote block of Poonch district, 70 per cent polling was recorded. There were 245 candidates in the fray, 49 for 18 seats of sarpanches (panchayat heads) and 196 for 88 panch seats.

In Rajouri district, more than 65 per cent polling was recorded in Darhal block and 70 per cent in Budhal block. In Darhal block, 57 candidates were in the fray for 18 sarpanch constituencies and 271 for 110 panch seats.

Similarly, in Budhal block, there were 69 candidates for 30 sarpanches and 210 panches. There were two women candidates for sarpanches in Darhal and five in Budhal.

With Friday's polling, election for 296 panchayats has been completed. These account for 2,550 constituencies in Rajouri, Poonch and Kupwara districts.

In the first phase, voting took place in the three districts on January 15 and later in Poonch and Rajouri districts on January 17.

PTI

EARLIER REPORT: More than 70 per cent vote in J&K panchayat poll

Tell us what you think of this report