Jammu, Dec. 10 : Upbeat over the outcome of the recently held Assembly elections in Delhi and Rajasthan, Minister of State in the Prime Minister''s Office and Congress party General Secretary, Prithviraj Chavan, today hoped that like Delhi and Rajhistan, the people of Kashmir would also vote for the Congress because of its focus on development and peace.

Interacting with reporters at the party headquarters here, Chavan said that the proposed Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)to fight the Terror outfits more affectively, would be a reality soon.

Srinagar, Dec 10 : The stage is all set for the fifth-phase of polling in Jammu and Kashmir, which is scheduled for Saturday.

Polling will take place for 11 assembly seats in the districts of Kathua in Jammu region and at Shopian and Pulwama in the Kashmir Valley.

The 11 constituencies are Tral, Pampore, Pulwama and Rajpora in Pulwama district, Wachi and Shopian in Shopian district and Bani, Basohli, Kathua, Billawar and Hiranagar in Kathua district.

Of the 179 contestants, there are five women in the fray, in the three districts of Pulwama, Shopian and Kathua districts. 58 independents are also in the ring in this phase of elections.

As many as 55 percent voters exercised their franchise in the fourth phase of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections on Sunday.

Stray incidents of violence were reported from some areas of 18 assembly segments in four districts that went to poll in the fourth phase.

The voting was spread over Baramulla, Udhampur, Budgam and Reasi districts.

Minutes after the start of polling in Baramulla district, militants exploded a hand grenade on Sopore- Sangrama road but there was no report of loss of life or damage to property.

Srinagar, India  - At least 10 people were injured when the police used batons to disperse an anti-election protest in India's northern Jammuand Kashmir state Sunday, police said.

The fourth leg of a seven-phase staggered election is being held in the restive state. Separatist political parties called a boycott of the elections for the state legislative assembly.

There was brisk to moderate polling in the 18 constituencies where polling was being held Sunday, election officials said.

Police baton-charged a large group of protestors in Sopore town, about 50 kilometres north of state capital Srinagar, injuring 10 people, the officials said.

Witnesses said six journalists were also injured.

Jammu, Dec. 7: As many as 3,023 public meetings and rallies have been organized in Jammu and Kashmir in this election season.

In Kashmir division, 1,641 rallies and 1,382 rallies in Jammu division have been organised by various political parties and candidates so far, since the announcement of Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir on October 19.

In total there were 525 mega rallies, out of which 280 were organized in Kashmir division and 245 in Jammu division.

Srinagar, Dec 7 : Fourth phase of the seven phased elections is going on in Jammu and Kashmir today.

18 constituencies where the votes are being polled include Udhampur, Reasi, Baramullah and Budgam.

Polling of votes started at eight in the morning and will close at four in the afternoon. Tight security arrangements have been made at all polling stations. In Gool Arnas constituency of Reasi, 109 polling stations have been set up for 50,000 electorate.

Being the militancy prone area 77 polling stations have been declared hyper sensitive, 23 sensitive leaving only 9 stations normal. An impressive arrangement of security has been made for peaceful conduct of poll.