J&K registered 50.08 % voter turnout on Monday in the fourth phase of the maiden District Development Council (DDC) polls, even as volatile south Kashmir’s three districts saw single digit polling, dipping the aggregate turnout in the Kashmir valley to just 32%.
“A total of 50.08% voter turnout was registered in the fourth phase. The Kashmir division saw 31.95% turnout, while the Jammu division witnessed 69.31%,” State Election Commissioner, K.K. Sharma, said.
Despite the fresh spell of rains and snowfall, people, including women, queued up outside the polling booth early in the morning, especially in north Kashmir’s Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara districts.
Official figures suggest Baramulla saw the highest 47.43% turnout followed by Bandipora with around 45.22% polling and Kupwara with 44.35%.
“We are enthusiastic about voting on two counts. One, it will provide a new interface to improve the governance at local levels. Two, these polls are also about making a political…