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Voters queued up in large numbers to exercise their franchise at a polling booth in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla on Monday.
Voting is being held for the Baramulla Parliamentary constituency. The constituency is witnessing a contest between National Conference's Omar Abdullah, Peoples Democratic Party's Mir Mohammad Fayaz and Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference's (JKPC) Sajad Lone. "Voting is essential to public. With voting unemployment in Kashmir will cease to exist. Voting should be held peacefully without any disturbance...People are coming to cast their votes," one of the voters who had come to a polling station to cast his vote said speaking to ANI. Senior Superintendent of Police Baramulla Amod Ashok Nagpure said that the police has ensured adequate security arrangements in the area to ensure a smooth voting process. "Voting is going on well. People have come out in large numbers. We have ensured adequate security arrangements so that people can vote without any fear...," Nagpure said speaking to ANI. Meanwhile, JKPC chairman Sajad Lone cast his vote at a polling booth in Handwara. "I am very confident...," Lone said adding that "It is up to the people whom they vote for. It is for them to decide and not my matter." People in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch cast their 'home vote' for the first time for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha Elections. The fifth phase of polling for Lok Sabha polls on May 20 across 49 parliamentary constituencies spread over six states and two Union Territories (UTs) saw a voter turnout of 23.66 per cent till 11 am, the Election Commission (ECI) said on Monday. While Bihar recorded a 21.11 per cent voter turnout, Jammu and Kashmir recorded 21.37 per cent, Jharkhand 26.18 per cent, Ladakh 27.87 per cent, Maharashtra 15.93 per cent Odisha 21.07 per cent and West Bengal 32.70 per cent, the poll body said. As per the ECI, over 8.95 crore voters, including 4.69 crore males, 4.26 crore females, and 5409 third-gender electors, will decide the fate of 695 candidates in the fifth phase of voting. The fifth phase is witnessing key contests in various constituencies. Leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Piyush Goyal, Ujjwal Nikam, Karan Bhushan Singh, LJP (Ramvilas) chief Chirag Paswan, JKNC chief Omar Abdullah, and RJD leader Rohini Acharya are looking for electoral success. The eight states/UTs polling in phase 5 are Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. (ANI)
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