Budgam, Nov 17: Watred-25 panchayat halqa recorded lowest polling as only two votes were polled, while Yarikah-26 panchayat halqa witnessed brisk voting with 634 votes cast out of 1324 in Khansahib block of district Budgam on Saturday.
The turnout in Khansahib stood at 30.14 percent in the first phase of nine-phased panchayat elections.
A total of 3881 votes were cast in the six-hour long polling which began at 8 am and concluded at 2 pm.
“Out of 12875 votes, 3881 ballots were polled in Khansahib with 2018 male and 1863 female electors exercising their franchise,” sources said.
According to official data, Khansahib block has 12875 votes with 6766 male and 6109 female registered voters.
Khansahib is divided into 26 sarpanch halqas and 222 panch wards.
Polling was held only for nine sarpanch and 17 panch seats as most of the seats did not find any contestant. Also, 13 sarpanchs and 89 panchs were elected unopposed.
22 candidates were in fray for sarpanch post and 35 for panch seats in Khansahib.
Due to boycott by major political parties, most of the independent candidates had filed their nomination papers for contesting panchayat elections.
Meanwhile, the ballots were counted on the same day after voting ended.
Interestingly, a panch candidate, Ali Mohammad Kuchay, son of Sattar Kuchay won by a single vote from Frestwar- ward 3, sources said.
It is pertinent to mention that Budgam district is divided into 17 blocks among which Budgam and Rathsun blocks will go for polls on November 20 in the second phase.
