Leh, May 20 (IANS) As the day started warming up, voters formed small queues outside polling stations in the Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency on Monday where 10.51 per cent voter turnout was witnessed during the first two hours.
According to the Election Commission, an overall 10.51 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency during the first two hours after polling started at 7 a.m.
There are 1.84 lakh voters in two districts of Leh and Kargil in the Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency where voting was underway.
The EC has set up 577 polling stations in the constituency, including 298 in Leh district and 279 in Kargil district.
Hanle (Anle) Phu polling station in Leh district is located at a height of 15,000 feet above sea level and is the World’s second-highest polling station. Warshi polling station in the Nubra area of Leh district is the last village and only 20 km from the Siachen Glacier base camp.
This polling station has been set up for only five voters belonging to one family.
Earlier, the poll staff, EVMs and security personnel were airlifted by the IAF to Jinchan and Dipling polling stations in Leh and Phema, Ralakun and Shadey polling stations in Kargil district.
Of 1.84 lakh voters, 95926 are in the Kargil district and 88,877 in Leh district. There are 1127 voters with Disabilities (PwDs) and 1570 elderly voters.
Leh district has a Buddhist majority while Kargil has a Shia Muslim majority.
Three candidates, Tashi Gyalson of the BJP, Tsering Namgyal of the Congress and Haji Hanifa Jan, an independent candidate supported by rebels of the National Conference (NC) and the Congress are in the fray.
–IANS
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