Jammu and Kashmir recorded nearly 30 per cent polling till 1 pm in Udhampur and Srinagar Lok Sabha constituencies Thursday, poll officials said.
Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency recorded 44.9 per cent polling, with Kathua district registering the highest of 49.7 per cent voting till 1.00 pm, they said.
Srinagar Lok Sabha seat registered 9.1 per cent polling, with highest 11.4 per cent polling recorded in Shia dominated Budgam district till 1.00 pm.
Polling began on a peaceful note Thursday in the two Lok Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir, with voters in border district of Kathua and Udhampur turning up early morning to exercise their franchise, officials said.
Amid tight security, polling began across the constituency at 7 am and has been peaceful so far, they said.
While Kathua district recorded 49.7 per cent polling, Reasi registered 49.2 per cent.
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Udhampur district registered 48.7 per cent polling, Doda 43.2 per cent. Kishtwar 39.3 per cent and Ramban district recorded 39.3 per cent till 1.00 pm, the officials said.
In Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, Shia dominated Budgam with 11.4 per cent followed by Ganderbal registered 11 per cent and Srinagar district recorded lowest voting at 4.8 percent till 1.00 pm, they said.
More than 29.81 lakh voters are eligible to decide the fate of 24 candidates, including former chief minister and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and Union minister Jitendra Singh contesting for Srinagar and Udhampur Lok Sabha seats.
Abdullah is pitched against political greenhorns Aga Moshin of the Peoples Democratic Party, Irfan Ansari of the People's Conference and Khalid Jehangir of the Bharatiya Janata Party among 12 candidates.
Prominent among those contestants include four Rajputs: Union minister Jitendra Singh seeking re-election on a BJP ticket, Dogra dynasty scion Vikramaditya Singh fighting as a Congress candidate, Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan founder Choudhary Lal Singh and National Panthers Party chairman Harsh Dev Singh among 12 candidates.
A newly-married couple was seen in their wedding finery at a polling station in Udhampur town.
There was a problem with EVM at a polling station in Ramban district, but it was rectified later.
A 95-year-old woman, Raj Devi, voted at a polling station in Chenani in Udhampur district.
Two-time minister Lal Singh, who is contesting election from Udhampur Lok Sabha seat, cast his vote in Kathua town.
Udhampur Parliamentary seat has 16, 85,779 electors and 2,710 polling stations.
Srinagar constituency has 1,295,304 registered voters and1,716 polling stations.