SRINAGAR: The fourth and final phase of the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) polls for 36 wards in central Kashmir districts of Srinagar and Ganderbal will be held on Tuesday amid tight security measures.
As many as 52 candidates have been elected unopposed, while none filed nomination papers for 44 wards that are going to the polls.
An election official said 132 wards spread over six districts will go to polls in the final phase of the civic polls. Only 36 wards - 24 in Srinagar and 12 in Budgam in central Kashmir - will have polling as 52 candidates have been elected unopposed and none filed nomination papers for 44 wards.
There will be no voting in Pattan in Baramulla district of north Kashmir, Pampore, Pulwama and Khrew in south Kashmir's Pulwama district, Shopian Municipal Committee in Shopian district and Dooru, Verinag in Anantnag. Not a single nomination paper was filed in any of the 13 wards of the Khrew municipal body in south Kashmir's Pulwama district.
Police and paramilitary personnel have taken over the polling stations and set up check points in Srinagar and Ganderbal, where vehicles and commuters are being thoroughly searched.
In the first phase, the Kashmir Valley saw 8.2 per cent polling. The poll percentage in Kashmir dropped to 3.4% in the second phase while it was a dismal 3.5 per cent in the third phase.
The fight is between the Congress and the BJP as the state's two major parties National Conference and PDP have boycotted the polls and had linked their participation in polls with central government's stand on Article 35A, which grants special privileges to residents of J&K.