Srinagar/Ranchi: Counting of votes will be held on Monday in Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand which witnessed a record turnout in the multi-cornered contests to elect their assemblies.
The five-phase election in the two states which stretched for nearly a month saw 66 per cent voting with authorities making massive security arrangements to prevent any attempts by militants or Maoists to disrupt the polls. “The counting will begin at 8 AM and the first trends are expected to trickle within an hour or so. All security arrange-ments are in place at the counting centres,” an Election Commission official said on Monday. In Jammu and Kashmir, where polling was held for 87 seats, the turnout was the highest after 1987 despite boycott calls by separatists and militants.
The militancy-hit state has seen a quadrangular fight among ruling National Conference, main opposition PDP, BJP and Congress, which parted ways with NC ahead of the polls. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who led NC’s bid to retain power, and Oppo-sition PDP’s chief ministerial candidate Mufti Moham-mad Sayeed are among the 821 candidates.
While Omar contested from Beerwah seat in Budg-am district and Sonawar seat in Srinagar, Sayeed is seeking re-election from Anantnag Assembly segment in the south Kashmir district. Most of the observers will keenly watch the result of Handwara Assembly constituency in north Kashmir Kupwara district where separatist-turned mainstream politician Sajjad Gani Lone is trying his luck.(PTI)
