J&K panchayat polls begin today

Campaigning for the panchayati raj elections in Jammu and Kashmir,the first phase of which is to be held,has gained momentum across the state.

Listen to this article

00:00

1x 1.5x 1.8x

Campaigning for the panchayati raj elections in Jammu and Kashmir,the first phase of which is to be held on Wednesday,has gained momentum across the state.

Though these panchayat elections are held on non-party basis,on the ground all major political parties National Conference,Peoples Democratic Party,Congress and BJP have fielded their workers as Independent candidates. Ministers,Assembly members and senior leaders of different political parties are campaigning for their respective candidates in remote areas of Kashmir.

For the first phase of polls,more than 2,800 candidates are in the fray. The last panchayat elections were held in 2001-2002,and the next one scheduled for 2006 was postponed due to security reasons.

Story continues below this ad

J&Ks Chief Electoral Officer B R Sharma said the panchayat elections in the state will be held in 16 phases. In the phase first,Kupwara,Bishnah,Samba,Kangan,Budgam,Quimouh,Kupwara and Udhampur will go to polls on Wednesday. He said that more than 50 lakh people would cast their votes for the elections to different panchayats. Around 29,000 polling stations would be set up for conducting these elections, he said.

On Tuesday,Director General of Police Kuldeep Khoda reviewed the overall security scenario in the Valley and called for close synergy between various law enforcing agencies to ensure free and fair polls. Nobody will be allowed to vitiate the atmosphere and create obstacles in the smooth conduct of polls, he said.

To keep militants at bay from trying to disrupt the polling process,foolproof security arrangements have been made around the polling stations. The counting of votes will begin soon after polling and results will be declared the same day.

The hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani has called people to stay away from these polls. The Hurriyat Conference has a clear cut policy vis-a- vis participation on these elections. To honour the great sacrifices of our martyrs,people should stay away from any sort of elections,even panchayat and local bodies polls, he said.

Story continues below this ad

Despite the poll boycott calls and militant threats,people,especially youth in different villages of Kupwara,Kangan and Budgam,are enthusiastic about casting their votes. This is the first time I will be getting a chance to cast my vote in panchayat elections, said Shabir Ahmad Khan,a college student from Kupwara.

Another villager,Mohammad Ramzan Bhat,said that by electing honest people as panchs and sarpanchs the neglected villages of Kashmir would get proper attention. In the past,due to lack of proper representation,villages never got their share in developmental schemes. Even,central schemes meant for poor and needy people were misused. With panchs and sarpanchs around,at least there will be proper implementation of these schemes.