Srinagar: Leader of separatist People's Conference party Sajjad Gani Lone has admitted that the high turnout during the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections are a slight setback for them.
"We are not feeling left out. We should not take it (the high turnout) as a defeat. It's a slight setback," said Lone.
He also said his party would seriously re-think about taking part in future elections in the state.
"We are willing to rethink," said Lone.
Counting of votes for the 87 Assembly constituencies in the state began at 0900 hrs IST at 22 centres across the state amidst tight security. The final results are expected to be out by afternoon.
The seven-phased polls witnessed an unexpected high voter turnout of 61.5 per cent despite a boycott call by separatists. An estimated 43 per cent of voters exercised their franchise in the 2002 elections.
Electoral fortunes of 1,353 candidates, including former chief ministers Gulam Nabi Azad, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Farooq Abdullah and National Conference (NC) President Omar Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti, will be decided.
Though all the constituencies witnessed multi-cornered contest but the real fight is among Congress, NC and the PDP for the 46 seats in Kashmir while BJP and National Panthers Party are in contention for the 37 constituencies in Jammu.
Governor's rule was imposed in the state in July following chief minister Gulam Nabi Azad's resignation after the PDP pulled out of the Congress-led coalition over the Amarnath land row.
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