Jammu/Srinagar: Polling for the 7th phase of Panchayat polls ended peacefully in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday under tight security arrangements.
Voters were seen queuing outside polling stations in both Jammu and the Kashmir valley despite the morning chill.
Polling started at 8 a.m and ended at 2 p.m.
An overall 75.8 per cent voter turnout was registered in the state for Tuesday’s poll.
In the Jammu division, 84.5 per cent voters exercised franchise and 86.5 per cent voters turned out in the Poonch district.
In Kashmir division, 30.3 per voters came out to vote and 44.9 per cent cast their votes in Kupwara district.
Voting for this phase was held at 2,714 polling stations — 576 in Kashmir and 2,138 in Jammu.
At least 892 polling stations had been categorised as hypersensitive in this phase — 428 in Kashmir and 464 in Jammu.
A total of 5,575 candidates were in the fray for 341 Sarpanch and 1,798 Panch seats, while 85 Sarpanchs and 912 Panchs have already been elected unopposed in this phase.
Some 475,865 electors were eligible to vote for Sarpanch constituencies and 345,880 for Panch constituencies.
Photo voter slips had been distributed among the people to inform them of their polling stations.
Poll officials said at the end of the sixth phase held on December 1, an overall voter turnout of 73.6 per cent had been recorded across the state.
The nine-phase elections that began on November 17 are slated to end on December 11.
Panchayat polls were last held in Jammu and Kashmir in 2011.
[source_without_link]IANS[/source_without_link]