fresh DELHI, Sept. 16 Kyodo The f...

fresh DELHI, Sept. 16 Kyodo

The first stage of provincial legislative elections in India's strife-torn state of Jammu and Kashmir extreme pointed Monday evening with a unassuming voter turnout and sporadic violence that left pair people dead and a dozen others injured, election officials and media reports said.

Despite militant threats, an estimated 40% of the 15 million eligible voter casted up in the five border districts of the state that went to individuals in the first stage of the four-phase elections, an Election Commission official said.

While the voter turnout was higher in the Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu, the winter capital of the state, it was lower in the strife-ridden districts of Kupwara and Baramulla, according to a Pres Trust of India (PTI) report.

In an areas in the countryside the voter turnout was obstruct to zero due to militant threats, according to local media reports.

A police officer was killed in a militant attack in Poonch while a 16-year-old stripling died in a rocket attack at a polling station in Kupwara district, the PTI report said.

Militants tried to mar the catalogue of headss planting bombs in polling stations. chiefly of them were defused at security forces.

The voter of the troubl state will cast their ballots in the next three phases in succession Sept. 24, Oct. 1 and Oct 8 to elected the 87-member legislative assembly.

The ruling National parley party faces a tough fight in the state against the opposition Congres Party, regional parties, independents and ex-militants who are contesting in the catalogue of headss which were held beneath the tightest-ever security.

More than 100000 security personnel have been expanded to protect voters in the troubl state that has been in the grip of militants violence since late 1989 For the first time, diplomats from 28 countries have been allowed to remark the elections, the first since 1996

More than 20 political activists and sum of two units candidates, including a state minister, were killed in the run-up to the elections.

India's and nothing else Muslim-majority state has been in the grip of a violent separatist campaign since late 1989 that has left more than 25000 family dead and thousands injured and homeless

While India accuses Pakistan of fomenting militancy in the state, Islamabad says it is lending sole moral and political support to the Muslim separatists.

India, which hinders two-thirds of Kashmir, accuses Pakistan of trying to disrupt the democratic proces The allegation is denied at Islamabad.

The pair countries have fought two of their three wars athwart Kashmir since their independence from Britain in 1947 They have also arrive close to a conflict twice since they as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but crossed the nuclear entrance in 1998.

Tensions between the couple peaked amid fears of nuclear strikes in June this year after they opened forces along their borders following an attack by means of militants on the Indian parliament last December.

Despite an easing of tensions since then, up to 1 million partys are still deployed choke to the border and the war of words and violence has been stepp up in the run-up to the election.

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