The voting under seventh phase of District Development Council elections was held in four territorial constituencies of Rajouri and Poonch districts with multiple incidents of disturbance of law and order have been reported from areas of Poonch’s Mendhar whereas voting in Rajouri district remained peaceful.
As per official details available with Greater Kashmir, the voters turnover remained 78.9% in Mendhar A whereas 81.6% in Mendhar B DDC constituency of Poonch district with overall voters turnover has been registered as 80.1% in the two constituencies of the district which is highest poll percentage recorded in the district in DDC polls so far.
Meanwhile, in Rajouri district, 74.2% voters turned at the respective polling station to vote in DDC constituency Rajouri and 72.1% in Seri constituency with overall voters turnover remaining 73.1% in the district.
Deputy Commissioner Rajouri, Mohammad Nazir Sheikh said that voting under seventh phase in two constituencies of Rajouri district passed off peacefully without any incident and people in large numbers casted their votes.
” Long queues of voters were seen at all the polling stations of Rajouri district where voting was held and things remained completely peaceful.” Deputy Commissioner said.
On the other hand, voting under seventh phase in two constituencies of Poonch district witnessed several incidents of law and order disturbance with more than five candidates from Mendhar B constituency also started a protest dharna in main chowk Mendhar demanding repolling at two polling stations and action against staff deployed there.
Officials said that in Harooni polling station of Mendhar A DDC constituency, some people entered in a scuffle near polling station causing minor injuries to two among them.
At a few other polling stations also, officials said, incidents of scuffle among people took place but no injuries have been reported so far with a similar incident of clash between people was averted at Malikpur polling station by timely intervention of police officials deployed there.
Meanwhile, soon after the voting came to an end in Mendhar A and Mendhar B DDC constituencies, protests started at Gursai and Mendhar sub division headquarters respectively with demand for repoll at some polling stations.