Jammu and Kashmir: Polling was held at 544 polling stations across the state
Nearly 80 per cent of over 1.26 lakh voters exercised their franchise in Jammu while there was a low voter turnout yet again in Kashmir with 3.4 per cent of 2.20 lakh electorate casting their votes Wednesday in the second phase of municipal polls in the state, officials said.
People in Jammu division voted with full enthusiasm on Wednesday but in Kashmir the voter turnout was three per cent. An overall 70 per cent voter turnout was seen in three districts of Chinab Valley, Udhampur and Kathua districts.
About two per cent of the electorate voted in the first five hours of polling in 49 wards of urban local bodies in Kashmir Valley, officials said. Voting began in the Valley began at 6 am and continued till 4 pm.
The first of the four-phased municipal elections was held on Monday after a hiatus of 13 years.
But, two key parties in the state -- the National Conference and Mehbooba Mufti's People's Democratic Party (PDP) -- have abstained from the elections.
Here are the highlights on Jammu and Kashmir civic body elections:
Officials say, the second phase witnessed overall voter turnout of 31.3 percent out of total electorate of 3.47 lakh in the state.The low voter turnout in Kashmir was in line with a meagre 8.3 per cent turnout in the valley during the first phase of polling, when the Jammu and Ladakh divisions had witnessed over 65 per cent of voting, they said.
Kashmir witnessed low voter turnout despite election authorities having advanced the starting time of polling for the second phase by an hour to 6 am, half an hour before the day break.
The government has declared holiday on the days of voting in the municipal areas going to polls so as to enable voters to cast their vote
A BJP candidate died of cardiac arrest on Wednesday immediately after casting his vote in the Jammu and Kashmir municipal elections.
Azad Singh Raju, 62, a former employee of the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, was a candidate for the Ramban Municipal Committee.
An 84-year-old woman arrives at a polling station in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir to cast her vote in the second phase of urban local bodies elections
Both the phase went peaceful. Security forces and police did their job properly. Public's cooperation was great: Dilbag Singh, DGP, Jammu and Kashmir on local body elections.
The separatists - under the banner of Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) - on Tuesday asked people in the region to observe strike.
"In the poll-bound areas in the second-phase of the elections, people will show their complete disconnect and dismissal by staying away and boycotting this drama," a statement by joint resistance leadership, comprising Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik, said.
Normal life was affected in poll-bound areas in Kashmir Valley today due to a strike called by separatists against the urban local bodies elections in the state.
Shops, fuel stations and other business establishments were shut in the poll-bound areas of the Valley, officials said, adding some other areas of the city also observed a spontaneous shutdown as shops remained closed.
The authorities reduced the mobile internet speeds across the Valley as a precautionary measure, officials said.
An estimated 57 per cent of over 1.28 lakh electorate cast their votes in the first six hours of polling, officials said.
The voting covering six districts of Kishtwar, Doda, Ramban, Reasi, Udhampur and Kathua recorded a turnout of 57 per cent till 12 am, the officials said, quoting information from district elections offices.
"Brisk polling is going on and there was no report of any untoward incidents reported from anywhere," the officials said.
Ramban district is leading the voter turnout chart with 62.9 per cent, out of 5533 electorate, exercising their franchise followed by Reasi (60.8 per cent of 10204 voters), Kathua (59.4 per cent of 54,622 voters), Doda (57.8 per cent of 13396 voters), Kishtwar (55.9 per cent of 8830 voters) and Udhampur (59.4 per cent of 35,519 voters), they said.
A voter from Bandipora district said that they are voting in order to develop their region and get employment in the coming months. "We are voting for development. We want to get employed. It good that these elections are happening and I am happy that a lot of people are coming out to cast their vote," he said.
Balwant Singh Mankotia, president of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party, expressed satisfaction over the commencement of urban local body polls in the region. "These elections will surely bring some relief to people residing in the region. There are certain demands of people like solid waste management, traffic jams, water crisis, and electricity for 24 hours which voters are expecting to get fulfilled," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
The municipal poll process was now effective only in 11 districts of the state in the second phase -- six in Jammu division and five in the Kashmir Valley.
Two lone candidates were declared elected unopposed in Kulgam and Badgam districts.
The voting percentage was abysmally low in Baramulla, Srinagar, Kupwara and Anantnag with 1.1 per cent, 0.8 per cent, 3 per cent and 0.6 per cent respectively.
Junaid Mattu, the former National Conference leader who was projected as the next Mayor of Srinagar, tried to distance himself from the controversy. Speaking to NDTV's Nazir Masoodi, Mr Matoo said: "It's for Governor (Satya Pal Malik) to clarify what he has said, I can't speak on his behalf. I have not."
He also justified his decision to contest the election. "I moved back from US and joined politics, understanding the politics of mainstream which is politics of accommodation and compromise. There is a conflict here but staying within system and trying to deliver is far better than staying on the sidelines."
"Our security arrangements are robust. Voting process is going on very well. Voters are feeling safe. People are coming out in large numbers to cast their vote," SSP Bandipora Zulfikar Azad was quoted by news ANI.
A BJP candidate died of heart attack when he was about to cast his vote in Ramban district, officials said.
Azad Singh Raju, 62, a former employee of the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, died at a local polling station before casting his vote, they said.
He was rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.
Mr Raju was among 24 candidates in the fray for the seven municipal bodies of Ramban district.
Over 3,46,980 voters have been registered in the phase 2 polls, of whom 1,28,104 are in Jammu division and 2,18,876 in the valley.
Visuals from a polling station in Bandipora
17.2% Voter Turnout In Kathua Till 8 am, Anantnag Records Lowest
(Credit: ANI)
People queue up at a polling station in Kathua to cast their votes
(Image credit: ANI)
People queue up outside a polling booth in Udhampur to cast their votes.
Visuals from a polling booth in Srinagar's Lawaypora
Voting began before the crack of dawn this morning. The change in voting timing by the election authorities has become a controversial issue. The polling time was advanced by an hour, from 6 am to 4 pm. The opposition alleges that starting the voting before daylight is aimed at facilitating bogus voting.
Mobile internet services have been suspended in the entire south Kashmir as voting for 13 districts in the second phase of urban local bodies elections takes place in the state. The mobile internet services have been reduced to 2G in rest of Kashmir, news agency ANI reported.
No nomination was submitted in all 13 wards of Frisal municipal committee of south Kashmir's Kulgam district, while only one nomination was received for 13 wards of Beerwah municipal committee in central Kashmir's Budgam district, news agency PTI reported.
Visuals from a polling station in Katra
(Image credit: ANI)
The second phase will cover a total of 384 wards spanning 13 districts across the state - seven of which are in the Valley, officials said.
Around 1,198 nominations were received for these wards and after scrutiny and withdrawal, 1,095 contestants are contesting the polls, they added.
Out of 1,095 candidate, 65 have won the polls uncontested, including 61 from Kashmir Valley. They said no polling will take place at 70 wards in the Valley as no nomination was received.
Over 1,000 candidates will participate in the second phase of the urban local bodies polls in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, officials said.
The four phase elections began on October 8 and will end on October 16.
The first phase of the municipal polls went smoothly in the Valley, with just one incident of stone throwing reported in a Srinagar ward.
The overall voting percentage in the state was 56.7 per cent.
There was no militant related violence anywhere in the state and the Governor Satya Pal Malik is determined to hold municipal and panchayat elections despite calls for a boycott by separatists and militant threats to candidates and officials.