Jammu: As the campaigning for the first phase of urban local bodies elections ended on Sunday morning, 6,11,244 voters will decide the fate of 1,283 candidates contesting the elections for 422 wards — spread over a dozen districts — on Monday.
The last urban local bodies elections were held through the paper ballot in 2005. For the first time, electronic voting machines will be used in the urban local bodies elections in the state.
Unlike the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, the campaigning for the urban local bodies polls ended 24 hours before the start of voting at 7 am on Monday.
Keeping in view the terror threats, adequate security arrangements have been made for the smooth conduct of the elections across the state.
“We have made elaborate security arrangements, especially in the sensitive areas of Poonch and Rajouri districts, as well in the border belts of Jammu,” Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu, SD Singh told The Tribune.
The IGP said the campaign for the first phase was peaceful and there was no report of any untoward incident.
Till 7 am on Sunday, the deadline for the campaign, candidates made every effort to convince the voters in high-pitch canvassing which began 15 days ago with the filing of nominations.
Although the National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party have boycotted the polls, the boycott call has failed to dampen the spirit of campaigning even in Muslim-majority border districts of Poonch and Rajouri, where 297 candidates are in the fray in 83 wards.
The boycott call was given to ‘protect’ Article 35A whose constitutional validity has been challenged in the Supreme Court. Toeing the line of the two regional parties, the CPM has also boycotted the elections.
The Bahujan Samaj Party has also announced the boycott due to the deteriorating security scenario in the state in general and the Kashmir valley in particular.
As many as 78 candidates have already been elected unopposed for the first phase of the four-phase elections.
Not only in the militancy-plagued areas of south Kashmir, some candidates have also been elected unopposed from otherwise peaceful areas of Arnia of Jammu (one), Nowshera (one) and Thanamandi of Rajouri (three) and Surankot of Poonch (four).
Polls in 422 wards
- 15 civic bodies of the Jammu province, including the Jammu Municipal Corporation, has 247 wards, 4,83,831 voters and 1,010 candidates
- The Leh and Kargil municipal have 26 wards, 20,225 voters and 66 candidates
- 13 civic bodies of Kashmir, including Srinagar Municipal Corporation, has 149 wards, 1,07,188 voters and 207 candidates
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