Polling underway in Jammu and Kashmir for urban local bodies amid shutdown, separatists on house arrest

The first-phase of the four-phased election began amidst stringent security arrangements. All separatists have been put on house arrest and some have also been detained.

Heavy security deployed at a polling booth in Baramulla as voting for local body elections is underway/ Courtesy: ANI

New Delhi: Amid threats from terrorists, the state of Jammu and Kashmir proceeds to polling for municipal elections with a tight vigil on the separatist leaders. Hurriyat has called for a complete shut down in the state today. All separatists have been put on house arrest and some have also been detained. Municipal elections, covering 79 municipal bodies with an electorate of about 17 lakh, are being held in four phases and the polling for the first-phase began amidst stringent security arrangements. A total of 3,372 nominations have been filed for 1,145 wards. The next phases take place on 10th, 13th and 16th October, reported PTI. For the first phase, 78 candidates have already been elected unopposed out of which 69 are from the valley. Polling that began at 7 am on Monday morning and would end at 4 pm, officials said. They said voting will take place at 820 polling stations across the state. 150 polling stations have been designated for voting in Kashmir Division and 670 in Jammu Division. In Kashmir Division, 138 polling stations have been categorized as hypersensitive while in Jammu Division, 52 polling stations have been categorised hypersensitive, officials said.

#JammuAndKashmir: Heavy security deployed at a polling booth in Baramulla as voting for local body elections is underway pic.twitter.com/zKZgO819KK

— ANI (@ANI) October 8, 2018

  Over the issue of legal challenge to Article 35A of the Constitution in the Supreme Court, National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and CPI(M) have boycotted the polls.

#JammuandKashmir: Union Minister Jitendra Singh and former Deputy CM Kavinder Gupta cast their votes in Jammu during the first phase of local body elections. pic.twitter.com/f12N7xUREq

— ANI (@ANI) October 8, 2018

(inputs from agencies)