ULB election: Polling begins in 36 wards of SMC, Ganderbal MC

Srinagar: Polling began on a dull note in 24 wards of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and 12 wards of Ganderbal Municipal Committee (GMC) on Tuesday in the final phase of four-phased urban local bodies (ULB) election amidst unprecedented security arrangements.

Re-polling has also started at a polling station Bachidarwaza of Makhdoom Sahab where five candidates are in the fray with a total electorate of 1,260.

Despite boycott and 'hartal' call by Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) in poll-bound areas, voting began at 0600 hrs and will end at 1600 hrs. There was hardly any voter visible in Srinagar though some people were seen moving towards polling booth in Ganderbal immediately after the polling began.

The authorities said that the polling may pick up as the day progresses. It is very cold outside and people will come out to exercise their democratic right later in the day, officials said.

Large number of security forces and state police personnel, wearing bullet proof jackets and holding automatic weapons in their hands, could be seen guarding polling stations. 

Out of 25 wards, polling was held in 24 in SMC in summer capital while in GMC, 12 wards out of 17 will see voting today in which 150 candidates are in the fray -- 38 in Ganderbal and 112 in Srinagar. Five candidates from Ganderbal and one from Srinagar have been elected unopposed.

There will be no polling in MC in Pattan in Baramulla district of north Kashmir, Pampore, Pulwama and Khrew in Pulwama district in south, Shopian Municipal Committee in Shopian district in south and Dooru Verinag in Anantnag district as candidates were declared elected unopposed or there was no candidate.

These six bodies have 90 wards. While candidates from 11 wards out of the total 13 in the Pattan municipal body have been elected unopposed, two wards received no nomination papers. Not a single nomination paper has been submitted in any of the 13 wards of the Khrew municipal body. 

In the Pampore municipal body, which has 17 wards, five candidates were elected unopposed, while 12 wards received no nomination papers. Out of the 13 wards in Pulwama municipal committee, no candidate was in the fray in 11 wards while two candidates were elected unopposed. In the 17 wards of Shopian, 12 were elected without contest, while five wards received no nominations. One ward received no nomination in the municipal body of Dooru Verinag, 16 candidates were elected uncontested.

In total, out of the 132 wards across the eight bodies 44 wards received no nominations, while 52 wards saw candidates getting elected without contest. (UNI)