More than 21.30 percent of the 17.37 lakh electorate exercised their franchise in the first four hours of polling in the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, officials said here.

An official of the election department said polling was going on smoothly across the Lok Sabha constituency which comprises 18 assembly segments and is spread over four districts of Baramulla, Bandipora, Kupwara and Budgam.

Giving assembly segment-wise data of poll percentage, the officials said the Langate segment in Kupwara district recorded the highest turnout of 24.21 percent till 1 am.

Bandipora, Beerwah, Budgam, Gulmarg, Handwara, Karnah, Kupwara, Lolab, Pattan, Rafiabad, Sonawari, Trehgam, Uri and Wagoor-Kreeri segments recorded more than 20 per cent turnout while Baramulla and Gurez were below 20 per cent. Sopore recorded the lowest turnout of 11.75 per cent.

National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah, People's Conference president Sajad Gani Lone and jailed head of Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Engineer Rashid are among the key candidates in the fray.

The polling will close at 6 pm in the constituency which had recorded a turnout of nearly 35 per cent in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

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