In accordance to the Presiding Officers’ diaries of the 11 Assembly constituencies of Pulwama, Shopian and Kathua districts, which went to polls yesterday in the fifth phase of J&K Assembly Elections 2008, following is the polling percentage in each constituency, according to official reports furnished by the information department of J&K Government.

In the Kashmir province, the percentage recorded in various constituencies was consistently higher as compared to the last assembly elections. Tral 48.78; Pampore 43.42; Pulwama 40.83; Rajpora 50.61; Wachi 48.54 and Shopian 52.71.

In the year 2002 when the assembly elections were held last, Tral had recorded only 11.54 per cent polling. Pampore had recorded 19.16 per cent; Pulwama had recorded 18.13 per cent; Rajpora had recorded 36.71 per cent; Wachi recorded 28.38 per cent and in Shopian the percentage was only 26.90 per cent.

When we compare the figures for two successive assembly elections, it becomes clear that the percentage of polling is four times more in Tral this time. In other constituencies as well, the polling has been double or more than double this time, in case of the constituencies in the Kashmir region.

In Jammu province, in Kathua district, the percentages recorded in various assembly segments was also higher than recorded in 2002. Bani 74.00; Basohli 69.23; Kathua 73.00; Billawar 70.65 and Hiranagar 67.00.

During the year 2002, the five segments of Kathua district had recorded lower percentages of polling. In Bani, it stood at 67.62 per cent; in Basohli it was 63.14 per cent; in Kathua it was 56.98 per cent; in Billawar it was 63.80 per cent and in Hiranagar it was 61.19 per cent.

The average overall polling percentage in the 11 constituencies this time is 58.50 while that of Pulwama district is 46.09, Shopian district 50.65 and that of Kathua district is 70.47.
Only two more phases of elections in J&K are left and whether the tempo of high polling percentage witnessed in earlier phases is maintained remains to be seen.