Voting underway for 8th phase of J&K panchayat polls

  Jammu/Srinagar: Voting was underway on Saturday for the eighth phase of the panchayat polls across Jammu and Kashmir amid tight security.

Voting is being held at 2,633 polling stations -- 550 in Kashmir and 2,083 in Jammu.

Polling started at 8 a.m. and will end at 2 p.m.

At least 361 polling stations have been categorised as hypersensitive -- 171 in Kashmir and 190 in Jammu.

A total of 6304 candidates are in the fray for 331 sarpanch and 2,007 panch seats in this phase while 43 sarpanchs and 681 panchs have been elected unopposed.

Photo Voter Slips have been distributed among the people to inform them of their polling station.

By the end of the seventh phase that took place on December 4, an overall voter turnout of 73.8 per cent had been recorded across the state, with a poll percentage of 44.4 per cent in the Kashmir and 83.2 per cent in the Jammu.

The last election of the nine-phased polls will be held on December 11.

Panchayat polls were last held in Jammu and Kashmir in 2011.