J&K local body polls begin
SRINAGAR/JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir is all set to witness its first elections since being reorganised as a Union territory last year with the District Development Council (DDC) polls beginning on Saturday, officials said.
They said by-elections to 12,153 panchayat constituencies are also taking place along with the DDC polls. Out of these, 11,814 are in the Kashmir valley and the rest 339 in Jammu.
Campaigning for the first phase came to an end on Thursday and officials said elaborate arrangements have been put in place for smooth conduct of the polls and special measures taken in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. As many as 1,475 candidates are in the fray for the first phase of these polls, they said.
The eight-phase elections are seen as a triangular contest among the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Apni Party floated by former finance minister Altaf Bukhari.
There are 280 DDC seats in the Union territory - 140 each in Jammu and Kashmir regions, the officials said, adding 14 constituencies have been earmarked in each of the 20 districts of the Union territory.
Out of 1,475 candidates, 296 are contesting the first phase of the DDC polls, they said, adding 172 of them are from the Kashmir valley and 124 from the Jammu region.
In the first phase of the DDC elections, 43 constituencies will go to polls -- 25 in Kashmir and 18 in Jammu, the officials said.
Voting for the first phase will take place from 7 am to 2 pm, they said.
State Election Commissioner K K Sharma has directed for setting up of special polling stations for Kashmiri migrants at Jammu and Udhampur so that they can effectively exercise their right of franchise.