By IANS,
Srinagar : The first phase of polling for the multi-phased Jammu and Kashmir panchayat elections started here Wednesday with queues seen outside several polling booths.
Voting began at 8 a.m. Enthusiastic voters were seen at many polling booths in Kangan block of Ganderbal district where both women and men turned out in fair numbers to choose their representatives.
In one such polling station at Chinar, 15 votes were cast within the first 10 minutes, out of the total 77 to be polled at the polling booth.
Enthusiastic voters have also lined up at Wangat, Margund, Mamar, and Kangan polling booths of this voting block.
Reports of good voter turnout have also come in from the other three blocks of Badgam, Kupwara and Qoimoh which are also going to vote for the panchayat polls.
While all separatist leaders have maintained the discreet silence over these polls, hardline senior separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani has called for a boycott of the polls.
The polls are being held after the state assembly elections of 2008 in which over 62 percent polling was recorded despite separatists boycott call.
The last panchayat elections were held in the state in 2001.