Braving cold, voters line up to exercise franchise in J&K (UPDATE)

Braving cold, enthusiastic voters queued up in front of polling stations to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 123 candidates participating in the crucial fray.

According to the initial reports first hour of polling saw people coming in hoards to cast their votes. Polling stations in different constituencies also witnessed people of different ages and gender casting their votes.

At least 15 of the total 87 assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir went to polls on Tuesday amid heavy security in the first of the five-phase elections in the militancy-hit state with the BJP emerging as a major power challenger in the region for the first time.

Polling staff and security personnel have reached the 1787 polling stations by Monday morning to man the booths to ensure free, fair and peaceful ballots to be exercised by 1.51 lakh voters across the valley that is now ruled by National Conference under the chief ministership of Omar Abdullah.

Polling began at 8 am will continue till 4 pm in Kishtwar, Inderwal, Doda, Bhaderwah, Ramban and Banihal in Jammu division; Gurez, Bandipora, Sonawari, Kangan and Ganderbal in Kashmir and Nobra, Leh, Kargil and Zanskar in Ladakh area.

An election official told IBNS that the booths were all fully secured by paramilitary forces and state police personnel.

Army has also been deployed in many areas and high alert is being kept in Doda, Ramban, Bhaderwah, Banihal and Gurez in border areas. Many of these areas are militancy prone.

The total 123 candidate, including 12 sitting legislators, are from parties like the ruling National Conference, Congress, BJP, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and others.

Over the five phases, about 7.2 million people are eligible to vote.  The second, third, fourth and fifth phases of polling will be held on December 2 (18 seats), Dec 9 (16 seats), Dec 14 (18 seats) and Dec 20 (20 seats). Counting will take place on Dec 23.

(Reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri)