The polls are seen as a triangular contest between the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), the BJP, and Apni Party floated by former finance minister Altaf Bukhari.
On Saturday, voting for the first phase of the maiden District Development Council (DDC) election in Jammu and Kashmir began, the officials informed. Seen as a triangular contest between the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), the BJP, and Apni Party floated by former finance minister Altaf Bukhari, these polls are considered important as they take place after the abrogation of article 370 and bifurcation of the state into two union territories.
Little enthusiasm was seen at the polling stations due to the cold weather, as the voting began at 7 am, the officials said. They added that the polling has begun for the DDC polls and bypolls to panchayats and urban local bodies across Jammu and Kashmir for the first phase of the eight-phase process.
As many as 1,475 candidates are in the fray for the first phase of the polls, the officials said, adding that 296 candidates out of these are contesting the first phase of the DDC polls in the union territory. 172 candidates in the first phase are from the Kashmir valley and 124 from the Jammu region. Comprising of 25 in Kashmir and 18 in Jammu, a total of 43 constituencies will go to polls, the officials said.
In Panchayat bypolls, 99 candidates are in the fray for the Panch seats and 280 for the sarpanch seats, the officials informed. They also said that total of 2,644 polling stations have been set up and there are 7,03,620 electors for this phase. The bypolls are also being held for four wards of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation and the municipal bodies of Pahalgam and Aishmuqam in Anantnag district.
12,153 Panchayat constituencies are also conducting bypolls along with the DDC polls. Out of these a major portion 11,814 are in the Kashmir valley, while 339 are in Jammu, they said.
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