Jammu and Kashmir panchayat polls, phase 1 LIVE Updates: Voting begins amidst tight securityJammu and Kashmir panchayat polls LIVE Updates: Voting for the first phase of Panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir is underway amid tight security. Polling began at 8 am in seven districts of Jammu division, six in Kashmir and two in Ladakh. The voting process will end at 2 pm.
According to state’s Chief Electoral Officer Shaleen Kabra, a total of 427 candidates are in the fray for 536 Sarpanch Halqas and 5,951 candidates for 4,048 Panch wards. Counting of votes will begin immediately after the polling is completed.
The poll panel had announced nine-phase polling for Panchayat elections in the border state. The previous panchayat polls were held in 2011.
Also Read: J&K panchayat polls to be held in 9 phases from Nov 17 to Dec 11
Polling in the first phase of Jammu and Kashmir panchayat polls is underway amid tight security. As per the schedule, elections will be held in 9 phases. According to Chief Electoral Officer Shaleen Kabra, the last phase the voting will take place on December 11. Panchayat polls were last held in the state in 2011.
Very few voters were seen outside polling stations in the Valley. Also, normal life was affected due to a strike called by separatists to protest against the panchayat polls in the state that is being held after a gap of 7 years. In Srinagar city, most of the shops, fuel stations and other business establishments were shut. Public transport was also off the roads while private cars, cabs and auto-rickshaws were plying in many parts. Similar reports of shutdown were received from other areas of the Valley as well.
According to news agency ANI, 18.5% voter turn out was recorded till 11 am in the first phase of panchayat polls. Polling is underway amid tight security in Srinagar, Ganderbal, Budgam, Baramulla, Kupwara, Handwara, Bandipora, Sopore, Leh and Kargil districts.
Polling is underway for the first phase of panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir amid tight security. The voting process started at 8 am and will end at 2 pm. 15 districts -- 7 in Jammu region, 6 in Valley and 2 in Ladakh are going to the polls today. In Jammu region, polls are being held in Doda, Ramban, Rajouri, Kishtwar, Kathua, Samba and Jammu. In Valley, polling is taking place in Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Badgam and Srinagar. Polling is also underway in Ladakh's Leh and Kargil districts.
Meanwhile, separatists in Kashmir have called for boycott of the panchayat polls and asked people to observe a shutdown on the polling day. A report in IANS said that life across the Kashmir was adversely affected due to the bandh. The shutdown was called by the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), a separatist conglomerate headed by Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik. Police and CRPF personnel were deployed in Srinagar's old city areas and sensitive places to main law and order situation. No untoward incident was reported from anywhere so far.
According to poll officials, 85 sarpanch and 1,676 panch have been elected unopposed while voting is taking place on the remaining 420 sarpanch and 1,845 panch seats in the first phase.
Voting began at 8 am at 3,296 polling stations (1,303 in Kashmir and 1,993 in Jammu). The voting process will end at 2 pm. According to officials involved in election process, 687 polling stations have been categorized as hypersensitive of which 491 are Kashmir division and 196 in Jammu division.