Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir is voting on the first day of four-phase civic elections that have been boycotted by the two main parties in the Kashmir Valley, National Conference and Mehbooba Mufti's People's Democratic Party. People are voting in 422 of the state's 1,100 municipal segments under heavy security, in the first urban local body polls in 13 years. The results will be announced on October 20. Elections are also being held in 149 seats in the Kashmir Valley and 26 in the Ladakh, Jammu and Pirpanjal region.
Mobile internet services have been suspended in south Kashmir for the voting. In other parts of the Kashmir Valley, the internet speed has been reduced, said officials. The turnout has been low till now; in one polling booth in Srinagar, 10 voters have showed up in four hours.
Here are the highlights on Jammu and Kashmir civic body elections:
Oct 08, 2018 14:00 (IST)
The polling is taking place in three municipal corporation wards in Srinagar city, municipal committees of Achabal, Bandipora, Baramulla, Badgam, Chadoora, Devsar, Handwara, Khansahib, Kokernag, Kupwara, Kulgam and Qazigund in Kashmir, Leh and Kargil in the Ladakh region.
Oct 08, 2018 13:58 (IST)
Stone throwing was reported from several areas of Bandipora during the first phase of polling in Jammu and Kashmir's urban body polls, according to news agency PTI.
Oct 08, 2018 13:50 (IST)
In the Ladakh region where biting cold had kept early voters away, saw the process pick up and Kargil district registered 3,470 votes while Leh had 3,164 votes till 11.30 a.m.
Oct 08, 2018 13:46 (IST)
Srinagar registered the lowest count of 3.5 per cent in five hours since polling began at 7 a.m, reports IANS. In the three Srinagar municipal corporation wards of Humhama, Bagh-e-Mehtab and Hamdania colony, 1,001 votes were polled till 11.30 a.m.
Oct 08, 2018 13:43 (IST)
Amid tight security, long queues of enthusiastic voters were seen in almost all the municipal corporation and municipal committee wards in Jammu district where 34 per cent polling was recorded in five hours, as Rajouri registered 55 per cent and Poonch 47 per cent.
Oct 08, 2018 11:25 (IST)
In Anantnag, only 43 of the 1,639 votes have been cast so far, an official said, adding in Budgam only 12 voters turned up in the first two hours of polling, reports PTI.
Oct 08, 2018 11:07 (IST)
After two hours of voting, the poll percentage in Bandipora was an abysmal one per cent while Baramulla recorded around 0.8 per cent turnout, an official said.