Row Over Voting-Before-Sunrise In Jammu And Kashmir Civic Polls Today

Barely two per cent of the electorate in the Kashmir Valley voted in the first five hours during the second phase of the local body elections, boycotted by the two major parties in the state. Brisk voting was recorded in Jammu till 11 am. The four-phase elections, being held in the state after 13 years, began on Monday and will end on October 16.

The election body in Jammu and Kashmir changed the poll timings, advancing it by an hour. Voting is now on between 6 am and 4 pm. The opposition alleged that starting the voting before daylight is aimed at facilitating "bogus voting".  This is the first time when polling started over half an hour before sunrise.

The second phase covers 384 wards in 13 districts across the state - seven of which are in the Valley, officials said. Over 1,000 candidates are participating in this election. There will be no voting in more than 100 seats in seven municipal committees where candidates have either been elected unopposed or the seats have remained vacant in the absence of any candidate. 

Parts of Srinagar municipal corporation, Anantnag, three districts of Chenab Valley, Udhampur, Reasi and Kathua districts are voting today.

The two main regional parties, the National Conference (NC) and the Mehbooba Mufti's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which boycotted the elections citing uncertainty over the centre's stand on Article 35A of the Constitution have called the election a "mockery" of democratic process.

The phase phase of the elections on Monday saw 56.7 per cent voter turnout and was largely peaceful.

The Election Commission has already come under criticism for keeping the names of candidates a secret. In most of the 600 municipal wards in Kashmir, voters don't don't know who their candidates are. Officials say the names of the candidates are not revealed because of security concerns.