Srinagar/Jammu, Nov 25 (PTI): Defying separatists' election boycott call and braving cold weather, voters turned out in large numbers today to record over 70 percent polling without any incident in 15 constituencies in the first of the five- phase polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

Election Commission officials said the poll percentage figures released so far were tentative and that it was likely to go up by two to three percent as voting was going on at some places even after closure of voting at 4 pm. Polling began at 8 am in cold wave conditions.

A 61 percent voter turnout was recorded in the 2008 Assembly polls for these 15 seats--6 in Jammu division, 5 in Kashmir Valley and four in Ladakh. Today's polling was spread over seven districts.

"Polling has gone absolutely peaceful without any incident. It was 100 percent flawless polls and there was not a single incident which vitiates poll process," Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi told reporters in Delhi.

Dealing a serious blow to separatist politics, thousands of voters had lined up before polling stations with nearly 10.52 lakh voters being eligible to vote.

Separatist groups like all the factions of Hurriyat Conference and JKLF have called for a boycott of the polls and a general strike as well.

A total of 123 candidates including seven ministers were in the fray with the ruling coalition partners National Conference and Congress and the Opposition People's Democratic Party(PDP) and BJP fighting for the spoils.

In five Kashmir Valley constituencies, two in Ganderbal district recorded 68 percent turnout -- an increase of 13 percent from 2008 assembly polls -- while three in Bandipora district recorded 70.30 percent, registering an increase of 11 percent.

In six seats of Jammu division, two constituencies in Doda district recorded a turn out of 76 percent while it was 70 percent each for the four seats in Kishtwar and Ramban districts.

While there was increase of eight percent in Doda district and nearly four percent in Ramban district, Kishtwar district recorded a drop of over three percent.

The four constituencies of Ladakh region, which normally witnesses high voter turnout, marked a decrease in number of voters exercising their franchise.

In two constituencies of Leh district, the turn out was 57 percent, down from 61.88 percent in 2008 assembly polls and substantially down from 68.23 percent registered during the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year.

In Kargil district, 59 percent voters cast their votes against 72.90 percent in 2008 elections.

Early morning chill and fog failed to dampen the spirits of the voters who had assembled at the polling stations an hour before the scheduled start of voting.

The voting time had to be extended in several polling stations to allow those voters, who were already inside the polling station premises, to cast their votes.

Good turnout in Jharkhand as voters defy Maoists

Ranchi, Nov 25 (IANS): Defying a poll boycott call by Maoists, voters in Jharkhand Tuesday turned out in good numbers in the first of the five-phase assembly elections, officials said.

"Around 61.92 percent polling took place in the first phase. The highest turnout was in Bhavnathpur with 69.6 percent, while the lowest was in Chatra with 53.85 percent. Polling was by and large peaceful," an election official told IANS.

Voting took place in 13 of the 81 assembly constituencies in six Maoist-affected districts. Over three million voters were eligible to cast their ballot.

The fate of 199 candidates was sealed in the electronic voting machines (EVMs). A total of 3,939 polling booths were set up for the first phase.

As many as 1,752 polling stations were declared super-sensitive and 1,104 sensitive.

Webcasting was done in 263 polling stations.

Polling began at 7 a.m. and ended at 3 p.m.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and the Bahujan Samaj Party contested in 12 constituencies each, the Congress in seven and its alliance partner Rashtriya Janata Dal in six.

State Rural Development Minister K.N. Tripathi, Congress's state president Sukhdeo Bhagat, and former minister and Janata Dal-United candidate Sudha Chowdhary are among the prominent contenders in this round of polling.