J&K LOCAL BODY POLLS TODAY

FIRST PHASE Many residents of the Valley say they have no information about the candidates or the voting schedule

The first phase of elections to the urban local bodies in Jammu and Kashmir will be held on Monday amid tight security, even as many voters complained they were “clueless” about the candidates or the voting schedule.

SRINAGAR: The first phase of the urban local bodies (ULB) polls in Jammu and Kashmir will be held on Monday amid tight security even as many voters here complained that they were “clueless” about the candidates or the voting schedule.

Shoaib Ahmad, a resident of Srinagar, which goes to polls in the first phase, said people in his ward did not know who the candidates were. “Ask anyone here if they know who the candidates are, they will tell you they have no idea. There is too much secrecy,” Ahmad, who works at a private company, said.

He said the government was only interested in “showing” that an election was being held, but did not intend to conduct the polls in a proper manner.

Ishfaq Ahmad, a resident of Ganderbal, echoed Ahmad’s view. “We have no idea who is contesting from our ward. There has been no campaign or door-todoor canvassing by anyone. Even the government has not put the details of the candidates on the election commission website. There are simply no details anywhere,” he said.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a police official said the candidates filed their nominations in secrecy and did not campaign openly because of a threat from militants. “The candidates have been given security and most of them have been taken to secure locations, but the situation is such they cannot campaign. The threat is not only from militants, but from mobs as well,”

the official quoted above said. As many as 2,990 candidates are in the fray for the multi-phase polls.

Khalid, another resident of the state, said he was earlier excited about voting but now wanted the polls to be put on hold. “I was excited to vote, especially since electronic voting machines were introduced. However, I do not have essential details for voting, so how and why will I vote?” he asked.

Apart from the secrecy surrounding the candidates, people in parts of state’s summer capital said they did not know the voting timings as well.

“Forget about who is contesting, we do not even know when is voting taking place in our area,” Ghulam Qadir, a resident of Sekidafar area in the city said. He said he has seen many elections, but “nothing like this has ever happened”.

A senior Congress leader, who wished to remain anonymous, said the atmosphere in the state was not conducive for polls, but their party decided to contest

after the BJP-led Centre “forced” the elections on the people.

“This is the most low-profile election in the history of the state. The atmosphere was not conducive for the polls, but it was thrust on us by the Centre,” he said.

The Congress leader said the secrecy maintained by the administration over the whole process has cast a shadow over the exercise.

“In such a situation only friends, relatives and party colleagues of the candidates will come out to vote and you will see the winning margins to be very low.”

MIRWAIZ UNDER HOUSE ARREST

Separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was on Sunday placed under house arrest. On October 2, police took Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Yasin Malik into preventive custody. Hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani continues to be under house detention ahead of the polls.