43% voting recorded at 2 DDC seats in Bandipora, Kupwara

Election authorities had ordered the repoll at Hajin-A in Bandipora and Drugmulla in Kupwara after two candidates were found to have cited wrong information during the DDC elections

Around 43% voter turnout was witnessed at the two district development council (DDC) constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir’s Bandipora and Kupwara districts, where a re-election was ordered by the authorities due to disputed qualification of candidates, officials said on Monday.

Re-polling for the district development council (DDC) seats of Hajin-A in Bandipora and Drugmulla in Kupwara is underway in Kashmir Valley. The election authorities had ordered the repoll after two candidates cited wrong information during the elections. (PTI)

The polling for the DDC seats of Hajin-A in Bandipora and Drugmulla in Kupwara had started at 7am and concluded at 2pm without any incident. Counting for both the constituencies will be held on December 8.

As per the officials, 53.33% turnout was recorded in Hajin-A, while 32.73% was witnessed in Drugmulla.

Officials said in Hajin-A, 8,669 voters out of the total 16,313 cast their votes at 57 polling stations, whereas 42 polling stations were set up in Drugmulla. “As many as 141 votes were also cast at special polling stations for Kashmiri migrants set up at Jagti, Patta Bohri and Udhampur,” the official statement said.

A mock poll was conducted at all polling stations before the actual start to ensure free and transparent polling.

The DDC elections took place in Jammu and Kashmir in December 2020. However, the counting of votes was withheld in these two seats due to the disputed qualification of two candidates.

Later, the state election commission declared the polling to these constituencies as void, cancelling the candidature of Soomia Sadaf and Shazia Aslam, citing wrong information about the place of birth by the Pakistan occupied Kashmir-origin candidates.