AMN
Polling is underway for the first phase of the Urban Local Body’ elections in Jammu and Kashmir,. The first phase involves the elections to 422 wards spread across all the three regions- Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. Voting that began at 7 this morning, will end at 4 pm. State government has declared a holiday in the poll-bound areas today.
In Kashmir valley, people are voting in three wards of Srinagar Municipal Corporation besides covering Municipal Committees of Kupwara, Handwara, Bandipora, Budgam, Baramulla and Anantnag. Municipal Committees of Kargil and Leh are also going to polls.
According to Greater Kashmir the Municipal polls in Jammu and Kashmir that is taking place after a gap of 13 years, on Monday witnessed long queues in Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch districts while people barely arrived in the valley booths that wore a deserted look.
For the first time, electronic voting machines (EVMs) are being used in these local body polls. The fate of 1,283 candidates trying their luck from 247 wards in Jammu region, 149 in Kashmir Valley and 26 in Ladakh will be sealed in the EVMs.
Fool-proof security arrangements have been made for the smooth conduct of the polls. At a high level meeting, Governor Satya Pal Malik reviewed the security situation. Nearly 40,000 additional security personnel have been deployed in 149 wards of Kashmir valley.
The last elections to the municipal bodies in the state were held in 2005 through secret ballots and the five-year term had expired in February, 2010.