J&K panchayat polls: 71% voter turnout recorded for 5th phase

After voting for the 5th phase of panchayat polls ended on Thursday, 71% voter turnout was recorded in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to news agency ANI, 85.2% voter turnout was recorded in Jammu division while 33.7% voter turnout was recorded in Kashmir division.

Voting took place in 2,512 polling stations out of which 769 are in the Kashmir division and 1,743 in Jammu division.

The polling began at 8 am and ended at 2 pm.

A total of 848 polling stations were categorised as 'hyper-sensitive' - 755 in Kashmir and 93 in Jammu division.

Nearly 4,763 candidates were in the fray in this phase of polls for 309 posts of 'sarpanch' and 1,534 'panch' while 118 sarpanchs and 1,046 panchs have been already elected unopposed.

Photo Voter Slips were distributed among the voters to inform them of their polling stations.

In the first phase of polls, held on November 17, 74.1 per cent polling was recorded while in phase two which was held on November 20 the overall turnout was 71.1 per cent.

In the third phase on November 23, the state witnessed a polling percentage of 75.2 per cent while in phase four held on November 27, 71.3 per cent voting was recorded.

The nine-phased panchayat polls will end on December 17.

Panchayat polls were last held in the state in 2011.