SRINAGAR: As with the first three phases, the fourth and final phase of Urban Local Bodies (ULB) polls in Jammu and Kashmir saw a dismal voter turnout, with only 4.2 per cent polling reported from 37 wards in central Kashmir, including summer capital Srinagar, on Tuesday.
The state's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Shaleen Kabra, said 11.3 per cent polling was reported from Ganderbal, where 12 wards of ULB went to polls. "In Srinagar, where 25 wards went to polling today, the poll percentage was only 4 per cent," Kabra said.
There was no enthusiasm for the election even in the parts of Srinagar, including interior Dal Lake, which witnessed brisk polling in past elections, and people stayed away from the polling booths.
Most of the polling stations set up in the interiors of Dal Lake, in Chowdary Bagh, Rainawari, and Moti mohalla in Nishat, wore a deserted look, with polling staff waiting for voters who never turned up.
"We have voted in past elections. However, we did not get anything in return. There is no development in our area and we still don't have a macadamised roads. Now we have decided to stay away from the polls," said a resident of Kandi Mohalla in the interiors of Dal Lake.
The Soura area of downtown Srinagar and the Pantha Chowk area in uptown Srinagar, on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, which were among the 25 wards in the summer capital that went to polls today, witnessed near-zero polling.
The Soura area witnessed intense clashes after youths threw stones at security personnel who were withdrawing from the area in the evening. The clashes continued for about an hour, during which the security personnel fired dozens of tear smoke shells and resorted to a baton charge.
In all, 113 candidates were in the fray for the 25 wards in Srinagar, and 38 candidates for the 12 wards in Ganderbal.
More than 2.5 lakh people were eligible to vote in the polls today.
The poll percentage in the troubled Valley has remained dismal in all the four phases.
The first phase of ULB polls held on October 8 recorded 8.2 per cent polling, the second phase witnessed 3.4% polling and in third phase the poll percentage was 3.5 per cent.
However, Jammu region witnessed brisk polling in all the phases.
The CEO said overall voting per centage in all four phases in Jammu and Kashmir was 35.1 per cent.
In the ULB polls, there is a direct fight between Congress and BJP and independent candidates as State's two major political 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.
The separatists had also called for boycott of the polls while militants had threatened the contesting candidates of "severe consequences".
In view of militant threats and security concerns, the authorities did not release the details of the candidates contesting polls in the Valley. Their names were kept secret.