6 years ago
Srinagar:
Polling for the first phase of panchayat election in Jammu and Kashmir began on Saturday amidst stringent security arrangements. Moderate polling was witnessed in the early hours of polling in the Kashmir valley as 18.5 per cent of the electorate voted till 11 AM. Officials said 427 candidates were in the fray for 536 sarpanch halqas and 5,951 candidates for 4,048 panch wards in the first phase. While the polls were being conducted on a non-party basis, the National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party and the CPI(M) have announced to stay away from the elections due to the legal challenge to Article 35A of the Constitution in the Supreme Court.
Here are the highlights of the Jammu and Kashmir panchayat elections:
All necessary arrangements are in place for the smooth conduct of the polls, officials said, adding massive security arrangements, including deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), have been made to ensure peaceful election.
The government has declared holiday on the day of poll in the panchayat areas where polls are taking place so as to enable the voters to cast their vote.
The officials said that in the first phase polling, 85 sarpanch and 1,676 panch have been elected unopposed while voting is taking place on the remaining 420 sarpanch and 1,845 panch seats, for which 5,585 candidates are in the fray.
Voting began at 8 am at 3,296 polling stations -- 1,303 in Kashmir and 1,993 in Jammu -- and would end at 2 pm, officials said.
In Kathua district, 114 candidates are in the fray for 29 sarpanch halqas and 450 for 209 panch wards, while 121 candidates for 35 sarpanch halqas and 469 for 253 panch wards in Rajouri district.
In Baramulla district, 148 candidates are in the fray for 63 sarpanch halqas and 630 for 497 panch wards.
