Elections

4.2% polling recorded in final phase, total poll percentage in all four phases 35.1%

Srinagar: The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) J&K, Shaleen Kabra this evening said that overall 4.2% polling was witnessed in the 4th and Final Phase of Municipal Polls-2018 in Srinagar and Ganderbal today.

Kabra said Ganderbal witnessed 11.3% polling in 12 Wards were 38 candidates are in the fray. He said Srinagar witnessed 4% polling were 24 Wards went to polls today.

The CEO said repoll was also held today at Polling Station No: 9 Bachidarwaza of Makhdoom Sahab (Ward No: 41) where 5 candidates are in the fray.

He said the cumulative poll percentage in all the four phases is 35.1%.

The Counting of votes will be held on 20th October 2018, for which, Kabra said, all arrangements have been put in place.

Municipal Elections-2018 were held in four phases, covering 79 municipal bodies with an electorate of about 17 lakh electors. A total of 3,372 nominations were filed for 1,145 wards.

Both the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party, the two biggest regional political outfits have decided to boycott the elections as they have asked the Government of India to clear its stand on the issue of Article 35-A.

Home Minister of India Rajnath Singh recently appealed political parties in Jammu and Kashmir to participate in the upcoming Panchayat and local body polls.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) also decided not to participate in the polls keeping in view the prevailing situation in the valley.

State Secretary CPI(M) Ghulam Nabi Malik, in a statement said that despite majority of mainstream political parties in Jammu and Kashmir deciding not to participate in these polls shows the arrogance of the BJP-led Central Government.

The Joint Resistance Leaders (JRL) while reiterating their call of ULB, Panchayat polls said that  it is a “political gimmick to hoodwink international community”.

Congress, however decided to take part in the polls to keep ‘communal forces away.’

Moreover Sajad Lone’s Poeples Conference has also decided to take part in the civic polls.

The state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has said that the regional political parties have boycotted the upcoming Municipal and Panchayat elections due to fear, and added that they have apprehensions that Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and National conference (NC) will field proxy candidates in the polls.

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