J&K urban local body polls: Voting for fourth phase concludes

Jammu and Kashmir Urban Local Body Polls: Voting for the fourth and final phase of the urban local body elections in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) was held on Tuesday. For 132 municipal wards, polling was originally scheduled to take place. However, only 37 wards witnessed voting due to the boycott by the two main political parties -- the National Conference (NC) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP). Polling started at 6 a.m. and ended at 4 p.m.

Jammu and Kashmir Urban Local Body Polls Latest UPDATES:

13:25 pm: Voter turnout recorded in Ganderbal is 7.9% & Srinagar is 2.3% till 12 noon, in the fourth phase of urban local body elections

11:25 am: Voter turnout recorded in Ganderbal is 6.4% & Srinagar is 1.6% till 10 am, in the fourth phase of urban local body elections

09:45 am: Participation is good. I expect that as weather clears, turnout will be better. If someone attempts stone pelting, we'll take strict action. There are more than 20 CAPF&police jawans at each polling station. Mobile teams are also deployed: K Poswal, SSP Ganderbal

09:25 am: 

07:28 am: High-speed mobile internet services suspended in South and central Kashmir including Srinagar due to fourth phase of urban local body polls

07:25 am: Voting underway for the fourth phase of urban local body polls

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Voting for the third phase of municipal polls ended peacefully on Saturday in Jammu & Kashmir's Samba, Srinagar, Anantnag and Baramulla districts, with an overall turnout of 16.3 per cent. Samba district recorded the highest voter turnout of 81.5 per cent in the Jammu region, while Baramulla in the Valley recorded a voter turnout of 75.3 per cent.

In Srinagar, a dismal 1.8 per cent of the electorate came out to vote, while Anantnag saw a 3.2 per cent turnout. Polling started at 6 a.m. and ended at 4 p.m.

The first phase of polling took place on October 8. 

The state government declared a holiday in the poll-bound areas.

The last election to the municipal bodies in the state was held in 2005 through secret ballots and the five-year term expired in February, 2010.

NC, PDP boycott elections:

While the candidates have left no stone unturned to woo the voters in the Jammu and Ladakh regions, the campaigning has been a low-key affair in the Valley, where threats, violence and boycott by the state's two main parties -- the National Conference (NC) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) -- have cast a shadow over the polls.

Foolproof security arrangements have been made for the smooth conduct of the polls.

However, need for secrecy has left the electorate clueless about the candidates. "Ask anyone here if they know who the candidates are. Everyone will tell you, they have no idea. There is too much secrecy,” Ahmad, who works in a private company, told PTI.

He alleged the government was only interested in "showing" that an election was held, but not with the conduct of the polls in a proper manner.

A police official said the prevailing situation in Kashmir does not allow candidates to campaign openly as there is a threat to their lives. While separatists have called for a boycott of the polls, militants have threatened to target persons taking part in these elections.

(With inputs from agencies)