Panchayat polls: 77 percent polling recorded in tenth phase

Srinagar: Tenth phase of ongoing Panchayat polls concluded peacefully Saturday with more 77 percent voters turning out to vote in eleven blocks of Jammu and Kashmir, official sources told.They said that 304 Sarpanches and 2160 Panches were elected in the eleven blocks, five in Kashmir division and six in Jammu region. Teetwal block in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district registered highest poll percentage of 87 %, they said. In all 15 Sarpanchs and 102 Panchs were elected by the voters in the frontier block. To elect 36 Sarpanchs and 274 Panchs, 65 percent people turned out to vote in Pattan block of Baramulla, they said.In Hajin block of Bandipora district where 28 Sarpanch and 230 Panchs posts were filled, 83.70 % people came to exercise their franchise.  Similarly for 29 Sarpanchs and 239 Panchs, 61 % people cast their vote in Keller (main block) in Pulwama while 73 percent turned out to vote in Dachnipora block in the south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. 54 Sarpanch and 365 Panch Constituencies were filled in the Dachnipora block. In Jammu region, voting was held for 22 Sarpanch and 142 Panch Constituencies Inderwal block in district Kishtwar, 15 Sarpanch and 98 Panch Constituencies in Block Assar in Doda, 31 Sarpanch and 200 Panch Constituencies Thathri block of  Doda, 23 Sarpanch and 154 Panch Constituencies in Banihal Block in Ramban, 36 Sarpanch and 248 Panch in Khour block of Jammu district and 15 Sarpanch and 108 Panch Constituencies in Block Balakote in Poonch district.The poll percentage remained 82 % in Inderwal, 84 % in Assar, 74.50 % in Thathri, 83.93 % in Banihal, 86.50 % in Khour and 85 % in Balakote, the officials said, adding that the overall percentage remained 77.14 in all the eleven blocks.The first round of the 16 phased Panchayat polls started on April 13 last. The eleventh phase will be held on May 25, 12th phase on May 29 while 13th to sixteen rounds are scheduled for June 2, June 6, June 11 and June 18 respectively.Panchayat polls are being held through ballot boxes as the State Panchayat Raj Act does not allow the use of Electronic Voting Machine (EVMs) in the polls. The polls are being conducted after ten years gap in the state.