SRINAGAR: At least 244 candidates have been elected uncontested in the four-phase Urban Local Bodies (ULB) polls in Jammu and Kashmir, which begins on Monday. Around 2,990 contestants are in fray for the polls.
An official said that of the 244 candidates elected unopposed, 231 were from the militancy-infested Kashmir, while 13 were from Jammu. While 78 contestants stood for the first phase, 65 stood for the second phase, 49 for third phase and 52 for fourth phase.
The four-phase polls for 79 ULBs in Jammu and Kashmir would be held on October 8, 10, 13 and 16. The counting would be held on October 20.
The official said that of the total 2,990 candidates in the fray, 1,283 people (207 from Kashmir) would contest in Phase-I; 1,094 (209 from Kashmir) in Phase-II; 411 (159 from Kashmir) in Phase-III and 202 contestants, all from Kashmir, in Phase-IV.
There are a total of 1,145 wards in 79 municipal bodies in the state.
In the first phase of polling on October 8, 422 wards would go to polls, polling for 384 wards would be held in the second phase, 207 wards would go to polls in the third phase and 132 wards in the final phase.
Of the candidates elected uncontested, majority belong to BJP and Congress, while the rest are independents and candidates of Peoples Conference of separatist-turned-mainstream politician and former minister Sajjad Gani Lone, who is a BJP ally.
The state’s two major political parties - National Conference and PDP - along with smaller parties, have boycotted the polls by linking their participation to the Central government’s stand on Article 35A, which grants special privileges to residents of the state.
The separatist leaders have also called for boycott of the civic and municipal polls while militants have warned those contesting the polls of “severe consequences”.
Two workers of National Conference were shot dead by militants in Habba Kadal area of downtown Srinagar on Friday. After their killing, at least three candidates including two from Srinagar have withdrawn their nomination papers.
Meanwhile, the state government has declared public holidays in the poll-bound areas on the election days. According to the order, special casual leave shall be granted to the employees who have to go to other areas for exercising their right to franchise, for which they would demonstrate proof of voting on return.