Srinagar: In view of the separatists’ boycott call and the National Conference and PDP staying away, the polling for 57 municipal wards spread over five districts in the Kashmir Valley began on a low note on Monday.
Polling is being held for three wards of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), one of Budgam, 16 of Bandipora, 15 of Baramulla, seven of Handwara in Kupwra district and 11 wards of Kupwara.
Tight security arrangements are in place following the boycott call by separatist organisations led by Joint Resistance Leadership of Hurriyat leaders Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik.
A complete shutdown is being observed in the Valley with shops and business establishments closed and normal traffic off the roads. Only private and official vehicles are plying.
According to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Shaleen Kabra, 150 polling stations have been designated for voting in Kashmir Division, which includes Leh and Kargil districts of Ladakh.
“In Kashmir Division, 138 polling stations have been categorised as hypersensitive while in Jammu Division 52 polling stations have been categorised so,” the CEO said.
Police and security forces are guarding the polling stations as an additional deployment of 200 companies of Central forces has been made for smooth conduct of the polls.
The polling in the Kashmir Valley, which started at 7 am and will continue till 4 pm, has been going on on a low pace amid the early cold.
The low pace has also been attributed to the security scenario, particularly in south Kashmir, spreading its impact in other parts of the Valley, the separatists’ boycott call and boycott of the polls by the National Conference and PDP.
In Ward No 5, the only ward going to the polls in Budgam on Monday, 23 votes out of the total 642 were polled by 10.30 am. In Humhama (Budgam district) that forms part of Ward 16 of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), only nine votes out of the 3,298 were polled at four polling stations by 11.30 am.
Live updates
Kokernag: Out of 904 votes, 7 polled till 2 pm in Ward No. 13 (Hangalgund)
Ward No. 5 (Wagay Mohalla): Votes cast 92 (total votes 276)
Ward No. 11 (Wani Mohalla): Votes cast 1 (total votes 218)
Ward No. 9 (Telipora): Votes cast 1 (total votes 264).
Voting crosses 63 per cent-mark in Kargil at 12 noon
Srinagar: 1,438 (30.68%) votes polled in MC Kupwara, while 847 (19.4%) votes polled in MC Handwara at 12 noon
*Unprecedented response of voters in remote Kargil district; over 47 per cent votes polled till 11.15 am.
*Out of 3,298 votes, nine polled in Humhama (Ward No. 16), Srinagar Municipal Corporation, while first vote polled in Hyderpora (Ward No. 16) around 11.30 am
*10.7% polling at 10 am in MC Handwara
*18.5% polling at 10 am in MC Kupwara
*Budgam. 23 votes out of 624 polled till 10.30 am in Ward 5
*Nearly 26 per cent votes polled in five municipal committees of border district Rajouri till 9.30 am
*Over 15 per cent votes polled in 75 wards of Jammu Municipal Corporation so far, while seven other municipal committees of Jammu district reported 20 per cent polling. (TNS)
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