Sunday, February 6 2005 16:48 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Srinagar: Ignoring militant threats and poll boycott calls by separatists, a moderate 44 per cent voters today (Feb 6, 2005) casted their franchise in the third phase of civic polls in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag and Pulwama districts with tight security in place and no untoward incident.

The polling began on a dull note in chilly and damp weather but picked up as the day wore on with Pulwama recording 55.00 per cent turnout and Anantnag 33.89 per cent at the end of the polling, giving a combined poll percentage of 44 per cent in the two districts, an official spokesman told sources in Srinagar.

He said Qazigund and Dooru in Anantnag registered the highest turnout of 76.88 and 65.99 per cent, respectively.

However, Bijbehara, the home town of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, and militancy-infested Kulgam had 32.21 and 37 per cent turnout respectively, he said, adding Anantnag recorded the lowest turnout of 23.52 per cent.

In Pulwama district, he said, Pulwama recorded the highest turnout of 59.26 per cent and militancy-infested Shopian only 49.90 per cent.

Tight security arrangements were in place for today's polls in view of militant threats. However, no untoward incident was reported from any part of the South Kashmir, the spokesman said.

With militants threatening the contestants, no candidate entered the fray for 29 wards, 27 in Pulwama and two in Anantnag.

Forty-nine candidates, 29 in Pulwama and 20 in Anantnag, were declared elected unopposed. Of them, 35 belonged to the ruling PDP, eight to its coalition partner Congress and three to Opposition National Conference.

Balloting took place for 69 of the 147 wards in the two districts. With this, the third phase of civic polls has been completed.

Electorate of north Kashmir's Kupwara and Baramulla districts elected their representatives on January 29 and Srinagar and Jammu in the second phase on February 1.

Counting of votes polled in today's polling in Anantnag and Pulwama districts has been commenced and results will be known later on, the spokesman said.