Srinagar/Anantnag, May 25: An estimated 8.98 percent of 18.36 lakh voters exercised their franchise during the first two hours of polling for the prestigious Anantnag-Rajouri Parliamentary seat on Saturday during the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections.
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The highest 12.52 percent votes were polled at Nowshera segment followed by 11.98 Poonch Haveli, 11.32 Thanna Mandi and 11.10 percent Mendhar in Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat till 9 am, an official spokesman said.
The lowest voter turnout was recorded at 5.31 percent in Kulgam segment followed by 6 percent in Anantnag.
Similarly, Anantnag West recorded 6.79 percent, Budhal (10.81), D H Pora (8.11), Devsar (8.11), Dooru (8.40), Kokernag (10.31), Pahalgam (10.98), Rajouri 9 percent, Shangus (7.03), Srigufawara (6.04), Surankot (7.30) and Zainapora 8.35 percent during the first two hours.
The voting in 2,338 polling stations across the Anantnag- Rajouri Parliamentary Constituency began at 7 am and will close at 6 pm.
The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are the first major polls in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
As many as 20 candidates are contesting from the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency and prominent among them are Peoples Democratic Party, President Mahbooba Mufti, National Conference influential Gujjar leader Main Alta, Apni Party’s Zafar Manhas and Democratic Progress Azad Party Mohammad Saleem.
The BJP has not fielded any candidate from the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat, saying the party was in no hurry to see the lotus bloom in Kashmir, the party has given tacit support to Apni Party’s Manhas, who is a Pahari.
The Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency comprises 18 assembly segments, spanning across the Kashmir and Jammu regions. The constituency is divided into 11 segments in Shopian, Kulgam, and Anantnag districts of South Kashmir, and 7 segments in Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu, bridging the Pir Panjal range.
Before 2019 South Kashmir formed a single parliamentary constituency, while Rajouri and Poonch districts were part of the Jammu Lok Sabha seat. However, following delimitation, the Anantnag-Rajouri seat was created, combining 7 assembly segments from Jammu division and 11 from Kashmir division.
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