Lok Sabha Election 2019: Valley sees only 2% voting, Ladakh turnout is 63.7%

Grenades, petrol bombs and stone pelting marred the third -phase of polling in the twin districts of Shopian and Pulwama of the Anantnag parliamentary constituency which witnessed the historic low of 2.81 per cent turnout on Monday. 

Elections in all the six parliamentary constituencies concluded on Monday with overall poll percentage of 44.51 percent. Jammu constituency recorded highest turnout of 72.16 followed by Udhampur 70.2 percent, Ladakh 63.7 percent, Baramulla 34.9 percent, Srinagar 14.25 percent and Anantnag 8.76 percent. The three seats of Valley recorded the lowest of 19 per cent turnout despite no anti election campaign launched by the separatists this time around.

Suspected terrorists surfaced at Rohmoo in Pulwama and hurled grenade on polling booth established in the Government Middle School.  The grenade missed the target and exploded outside the premises without causing any damage.  Later, another grenade was lobbed at polling booth in Tikken village but it did not explode.

“We received information regarding two incidents at Rohoma and Tikken. There was no damage at Rohmoo and the grenade at Tikken did not explode. By and large there was no incidents of injuries to any polling staff or security personnel and it was very peaceful polls,” said Shailendra Kumar, chief electoral officer, Jammu and Kashmir Miscreants also hurled a petrol bomb at polling station located at Government Higher Secondary School Shopian. It missed the target and exploded outside the premises without causing any damage.  Sporadic incidents of stone pelting were also witnessed in several areas of Pulwama district.  

The twin districts recorded the lowest polling in all of the five phases polls held in Jammu and Kashmir so far.  Shopian district recorded 2.88 percent while Pulwama witnessed 2.14 percent turnout on Monday.