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Jammu and Kashmir Urban Local Body Polls: Voting for the phase 2 of the urban local body elections in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) was held on Wednesday for 384 wards in 13 districts. Polling, which started at 6 am, concluded at 4 pm. In this phase, 1,029 candidates were in fray across the state.
There were 544 polling stations across J&K.
There are in total four phases. The first phase of polling took place on Monday. Third and fourth phases of voting will be done on October 13 and October 16, respectively.
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.
Jammu and Kashmir Urban Local Body Polls Highlights:
12:30 pm: Former terrorist Farooq Ahmad Khan, who is contesting local body election on a BJP ticket, cast his vote at a polling station in Srinagar.
11:00 am:
10:11 am:
07:37 am: Mobile internet services have been suspended in the entire south Kashmir as voting for 13 districts in the second phase of urban local bodies elections takes place in the state. The mobile internet services have been reduced to 2G in rest of Kashmir.
07:23 am: Voting underway for 384 wards in 13 districts of Jammu and Kashmir in the second phase of urban local bodies elections
07:00 am: Voting begins for phase 2
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)
