Polling underway amid tight security in J&K: India

Around 10% of the over six lakh strong electorate on Monday exercised their franchise in the first phase of assembly elections in ten

constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir till noon today.

Polling is going on smoothly in all the ten constituencies, four in Ladakh and three each in Bandipora and Poonch districts, and no untoward incident was reported from anywhere, an official spokesman said.

The highest voter turnout was witnessed in Kargil constituency where around 17% of registered voters cast their ballot, followed by Zanskar (12.5), also in Kargil district.

However, Nobra and Leh constituencies of Leh district registered a comparatively low voter turnout with only 8.8 and 6.46% of the electorate casting their ballot, the spokesman said.

In the last assembly polls in 2002, no vote was cast in Nobra and Leh constituencies as then Congress candidates, supported by Ladakh Union Territory Front, were declared elected unopposed.

Mendhar, Surankote and Poonch-Haveli constituencies in the border district of Poonch registered 13, 12 and 8% voting respectively, the spokesman said.

Gurez, Bandipora and Sonawari constituencies in newly carved out Bandipora district, on the other hand, registered 10, 7 and 7% polling respectively.

A curfew-like situation prevailed in Jammu and Kashmir as authorities deployed thousands of security personnel to prevent any attempt by separatists to march to Bandipora to disrupt the elections.

Heavy deployment has been made in Srinagar and other major towns of the valley in view of a call, 'Jehan election waha challo' (where elections march there), given by separatist coordination committee, spearheading the ongoing movement for right to self-determination, official sources said.

The separatists have rejected the elections and had called for protests on the elections days, besides a complete strike to draw the attention of the global community towards the Kashmir issue.