Assembly Polls, final phase: 'Historic' 65% voting in J&K, 70% in Jharkhand

Ranchi/Jammu: Balloting for fifth and final phase of assembly elections began amid unprecedented security in Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand on Saturday

Here are the Live Updates:-

6.20 pm: Overall polling percentage recorded for 5th phase of Jharkhand Assembly election-71.25%: EC

6.18 pm: Overall voting turnout recorded for all phases in the entire Jharkhand State - 66.03%: EC

6.15 pm: EC says this is the highest turnout in last 25 years in J&K; terms it historic and unprecedented.

6.10 pm: Estimated total turnout in Jammu & Kashmir 65 per cent, 4 per cent more than last assembly poll turnout: EC after final phase polling ends.

3.05 pm: Nearly 63.84% turnout in Jharkhand till 3 pm.

3.00 pm: Polling ends in Jharkhand.

2.15 pm: Barhait recorded 52, Rajmahal 50, Godda 48, Mahagama 48, Borio 46 and Dumka 43%, EC officials said in Jharkhand.

1.45 pm: Polling percentage in Jharkhand till 1pm – Pakur, Shikaripara constituencies (60.5%) and (60.15%) respectively, Sarath (59.5), Litipara (59), Maheshpur (58), Nala (56), Jamtara (57), Jarmundi (57), Jama (56) and Poreyahat (56).

1.30 pm: An impressive 53.86% voter turnout recorded till 1 pm.

12.35 pm: Nearly 34.9% voting registered till noon in Jharkhand.

12.10 pm: Overall polling percentage till 12 pm in J&K - 29.75 %.

11.45 am: This is my home, today its the voters who have to go out & vote, we have done our work in our tenure, says Hemant Soren.

11.25 am: MoS PMO Dr Jitendra Singh casts his vote in Jammu.

11.05 am: BJP's Lal Singh casts his vote in Kathua, J&K.

10.50 am: Jharkhand polling % - highest in Pakur (41%), lowest Godda (27%) till 11 am, says election officials.

10.30 am: Nearly 13% voters exercise franchise till 10 am in Jammu and Kashmir.

10.00 am: Militants gun down a village headman in north Kashmir's Baramulla district, says police.

9.20 am: Peaceful but brisk polling in J&K so far, claim officials.

9.15 am: 14.27% polling recorded in Jharkhand till 9 am, says EC officials.

8.50 am: Lot of excitement & enthusiasm among people to vote, voters are coming out in large numbers despite cold, says Sahu

8.45 am: We have made adequate security arrangements, no violence reported, says Ajit Sahu, DC Jammu.

8.40 am: BJP candidate Ravinder Raina, who was attacked in Nowshera allegedly by PDP workers, hospitalised.

8.20 am: I am confident that NC will improve its tally in these polls, says Rana.

8.10 am: NC's Devinder Singh Rana casts his vote in Jammu.

8.00 am: Voting begins in J&K

7.30 am: PM Narendra Modi urges voters to participate in large numbers in today's electoral exercise in two states.

I urge all those voting in the 5th & final phase of J&K and Jharkhand Assembly polls to turnout in record numbers & vote. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 20, 2014

7. 00 am: Voting begins in Jharkhand

Jharkhand

Today balloting will take place in 16 of the 81 assembly constituencies in the last round of the five-phase elections in Jharkhand. Over 36 lakh voters, including more than 17 lakh women, will decide the fate of 208 candidates -- 16 of them women -- in the fray.

Balloting will take place at 3,773 polling booths out of which 833 booths have been declared as very sensitive, while another 1,496 have been declared sensitive.

Voting, which will begin at 7 am, will conclude at 3 pm.

The fate of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), will be decided in this phase. Soren, who is the sitting legislator from Dumka, is contesting from both Dumka and Barhet.

Other prominent candidates are assembly Speaker Shashank Shekhar Bhokta, minister Lobin Hembrom, Sita Soren, who is the daughter-in-law of Shibu Soren and sister-in-law of the state chief minister, Bharatiya Janata Party national secretary Louise Marandi, and former minister Simon Marandi.

Jammu and Kashmir

Polling for 20 assembly constituencies in the fifth and final phase of elections in Jammu and Kashmir will take place today. The constituencies are spread over Jammu, Kathua and Rajouri districts. Over 18 lakh voters are eligible to decide the political fate of 213 candidates.

Prominent candidates include Sham Lal Sharma (Akhnoor), Raman Bhalla (Gandhinagar), Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand (Chhamb) and Manohar Lal Sharma (Billawar).

A total of 2,366 polling stations have been set up.

The constituencies going to polls are Bani, Basohli, Billawar, Kathua and Hiranagar in Kathua district, Nagrota, Gandhinagar, Jammu East, Jammu West, Bishnah, R.S. Pura, Suchetgarh, Akhnoor, Chhamb, Marh and Raipur Domana in Jammu district, and Rajouri, Darhal, Kalakote and Nowshera in Rajouri district.

The BJP had won 11 of the 20 seats, the Congress five and the National Conference three. The Peoples Democratic Party had one member.

Polling is slated to begin 8 am and will end at 4 pm. Votes will be counted Dec 23.

In the outgoing 87-member assembly, the National Conference had 28 members, the PDP 21, the Congress 17 and the BJP 11 legislators.