Nearly 27 per cent of 13.48 lakh electorate exercised their franchise up to 1 PM in the two parliamentary constituencies of Baramulla and Ladakh which went to polls in the last leg of the five-phased elections in Jammu and Kashmir amid tight security arrangements.
The voting in the two constituencies began on a slow note but picked up as the day progressed with 42 per cent of 1,59,631 electorate casting their ballots in Ladakh constituency and 24.5 per cent of 11,89,120 voters registering their choice in Baramulla till 1 PM, officials said.
Ignoring militant threats and boycott call of separatists, the voters started thronging the polling stations in Baramulla constituency which is spread over three districts of Kupwara, Bandipora and Baramulla.
While Kupwara is leading in the voter turnout in the constituency with 41.26 per cent of 393400 electorate casting their votes, Bandipora recorded 20.43 per cent and Baramulla followed by 14.69 per cent till 1 PM, the officials said.
In Ladakh Lok Sabha seat spread over Kargil and Leh districts, the officials said Kargil registered a voter turnout of 49 per cent while Leh recorded 35 per cent till 1 PM. The constituency has a total of 159631 electorate - 80589 in Kargil and 79042 in Leh.
The polling in the two constituencies began at 7 AM and is expected to register high voter turnout given the trends available from different areas so far.
Anantnag and Srinagar parliamentary Lok Sabha seats, which went to polls on April 24 and April 30, recorded a low voter turnout of 28 per cent and 26 per cent, respectively.
Baramulla parliamentary constituency recorded 41 per cent voter turn out in the last parliamentary elections.
Separatists had called for a poll boycott but the turnout in the Baramulla constituency so far suggests that the voters have not paid much heed to it.
While polling has been peaceful in Ladakh seat, there were several incidents of violence reported from various parts of Baramulla constituency since yesterday including attacks on two polling stations and a security forces camp, which left five security personnel injured.
