Cong, BJP fight over single vote Over 1,000 in fray in second phase today
J&K POLLS Two wards saw one voter each coming out to caste vote SRINAGAR:
For two national parties —Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress — the fight is over a single vote each cast at two wards of Baramulla Municipal Council in the first phase of local body polls held on Monday.
Threats from militant groups kept a majority of people away from polling booths in Kashmir valley where the turnout was a mere 8.2 per cent, whereas over 65 per cent of the electorate voted in the Jammu and Ladakh divisions of the state.
The two wards in contention – Khawjasahib and Bagh-e-Islam — located in the old city, saw only one voter each coming out to cast vote.
These two wards are not an aberration. At least 21 others saw less than 20 votes being polled. The contest at Khawjasahib and Bagh-e-Islam was between BJP and the Congress.
Interestingly, the contesting candidates are not even registered voters in the wards from which they have sought election.
Khawjasahib has 544 registered voters while neighbouring Bagh-e-Islam has 768.
“The people who voted at these two wards are our voters. I know both of them voted for my party,” BJP candidate, Rubeena Manzoor told Hindustan Times. Manzoor is contesting from both the wards. “My vote is registered at Mirsahib ward. I couldn’t vote for myself, but at my own ward I voted for the BJP candidate”.
On the other hand, Congress is also hopeful that party candidates, Nageena and Saba will emerge victorious from the two wards.
“Our voters went and cast their votes in favour of our candidates. Both these seats belong to us now. The BJP will accept this reality when votes will be counted,” said Umar Kakroo, a Congress candidates and party’s Baramulla in-charge.
Of the 25,276 registered voters in Baramulla council, only 1,325 cast their votes on Monday.
In Tawheed Ganj ward, out of 1818, only six people came out to vote while in Jamia three out of 1,006 registered voters exercised franchise.
More than 380 local bodies spread across 13 districts will go to polls in the second phase of the urban local bodies elections in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday amid a shutdown called by the separatists in the poll-bound areas.
The four phase elections began on October 8 and will end on October 16.
The first phase polls on Monday saw paltry 8.3 per cent voter turnout in Kashmir Valley, whereas over 65 per cent of the electorate voted in the Jammu and Ladakh divisions. Two main regional parties -- the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have boycotted the polls.
The second phase will cover 384 wards (166 in Kashmir and 218 in Jammu) spanning 13 districts — six in Jammu and seven in the Valley, officials said, adding 1,094 contestants are in the fray. Of these 65 candidates, including 61 in Kashmir, have won the polls uncontested. No polling will take place at 56 wards in the Valley as no nomination was received.
Chief electoral officer of the state Shaleen Kabra said the polling time has been increased by one hour and will be held from 6 am to 4 pm. Meanwhile, separatists have asked people to observe shutdown in the areas going to polls in second phase.
Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), comprising Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Mohammad Yasin Malik, in a statement, asked people to observe complete protest shutdown in the “sham elections”. “People will show their total disconnect and dismissal of them by staying away and boycotting this drama”. Kathua deputy commissioner Rohit Khajuria, however, said tight security arrangements have been made and central forces stationed at polling stations. “Wearehopefulofgood voter turnout in a peaceful atmosphere,” he said.
The decision of going ahead with the polls is being seen as part of the Centre’s efforts to turn the tide in state .
SRINAGAR: