Jammu and Kashmir

About 5.40 p.m., Pakistan initiated the unprovoked firing with small arms and shelling with mortars in Mendhar and Balakote sectors, Defence Spokesman Colonel Devender Anand said. The spokesman said the Indian army retaliated at both the places befittingly.

This was stated by the State Election Commissioner (SEC) K.K. Sharma on Thursday. Giving details the SEC informed that by-polls for Panch were held in 438 vacant seats in the seventh phase on Wednesday. Out of a total 76,866 electors (including 39,727 males and 37,139 females), 52,599 voted and 1000 candidates were in the fray.

The State Election Commission said the Kashmir division recorded an overall polling percentage of 6.11 and Jammu division recorded 14.43 per cent till 9 a.m. Bandipora with 14.65 per cent and Kathua with 20.13 per cent were the highest recorded voter turnouts in the first two hours in Kashmir and Jammu respectively.

Addressing a press conference, State Election Commissioner (SEC) K.K. Sharma informed that a total of 31 DDC constituencies will go to the polls on Wednesday, 13 in Kashmir division and 18 in Jammu division. For the 13 DDC constituencies in Kashmir division going to the polls on Wednesday, there are 148 candidates in the fray including 34 females.

The SEC was addressing the media after the culmination of phase 6 of the DDC polls which witnessed a percentage of 51.51 per cent. While giving a brief about the elections, the SEC said that polling was peaceful and people participated enthusiastically despite severe cold conditions in Kashmir division and some hilly areas of Jammu division.

The Kashmir Division recorded an overall polling percentage of 26.28 and Jammu Division registered 56.90 per cent up to 1.00 p.m. The sixth phase of the District Development Council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday recorded a voting percentage of 42.79 in six hours across different constituencies in several districts.

According to figures issued by the office of State Election Commissioner, in Kashmir Division, Pulwama recorded voting percentage of 1.81 per cent, Baramulla 3.10 per cent, Kulgam 4.09 per cent, Shopian 0.51 per cent, Anantnag 2.40 per cent, Bandipora 9.53 per cent, Ganderbal 5.39 per cent, Kupwara 5.52 per cent and Budgam 6.40 per cent till 9 a.m.

This will enable J&K to clear its outstanding payments under power purchases made by it, officials said. An MoU for availing the second tranche of this loan for Rs 5,444.47 crore was signed between JK Power Development Department, J&K Power Corporation Ltd and Power Finance Corporation in Srinagar on Saturday.

Giving details, the SEC said that for the 14 DDC constituencies of Kashmir division going to the polls on Sunday, there are 124 candidates in the fray including 47 females. In Jammu division, there are 121 candidates for the 17 DDC constituencies in this phase, including 53 females.

The mercury dropped to a bone-chilling minus 11.9 degree Celsius on Friday in Leh town of Ladakh region while the famous ski resort, Gulmarg of Jammu and Kashmir recorded minus 5.2 degree Celsius as the minimum temperature.