No Untoward Incident as Sixth Phase of J&K Panchayat Polls Ends

The sixth phase of panchayat election in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) held on Saturday, passed off peacefully, unlike in the earlier phases which saw attacks on panchayat houses.

Polling was held amid tight security in the Valley in view of a strike call by the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) and to avoid attacks on panchayat houses. The poll is being boycotted by the two key national parties in the state – the People’s Democratic Party and the National Conference.

The sixth phase of the nine-phase election began at over 3,174 polling stations, of which 410 are in the Kashmir division and 2,764 in the Jammu division.

In the Valley, 17.7% turned out to exercise their franchise, with 41.5% per cent voters turned out in Ganderbal district, while just 4.6% came out to vote in Kulgam district.

In the Jammu division, 83.7% voter turnout was recorded.

Overall the turnout was recorded at 76.2 %.

Keeping in mind the previous attacks on panchayat houses and political workers in view, 771 polling stations -- 410 in the Kashmir division and 361 in the Jammu division -- were categorised as hypersensitive.

During this phase, 7,156 candidates were contesting election, in which 406 were for sarpanchs and 2,277 were for panch. Incidentally, 111 sarpanchs and 1,048 panchs were elected unopposed.

A total of 5,97,396 voters were eligible to cast their votes for sarpanch constituencies and 4,57,581 for the panch constituencies.

In Kashmir, division voting took place in Anantnag, Bandipora, Baramulla, Ganderbal Srinagar and Kulgam.

In Jammu division, voting took place in Doda, Jammu city, Ramban, Udhampur, Reasi, Kautha, Samab, Rajouri and Poonch.

Loopholes in Fifth Phase

Due to the absence of contestants for the fifth phase of the polls held on Thursday, no elections were held in two blocks of south Kashmir’s Kulgam, and in some halqas and panch wards of Anantnag district. Even contestants in some areas didn’t turn up to vote.

One of the election officers told Newsclick that seven panchayat- sarpanch halqas fall in one of the most volatile blocks of Frisal Kulgam, where no candidate turned up to file the nomination.

In Frisal, in the absence of candidates, no panchayat body was formed. Even during the recently-held Urban Local Body Elections no municipal body could be formed in 13 wards.

It’s believed that due to the intense armed resistance movement in both the districts, people aren’t able to participate in the elections.

Meanwhile, in Kheribal Mattan village of Anantnag district, none of the seven sarpanchs who filed nomination cast their vote. No panchayat body could be formed here as well and hence it was added to the list of vacant wards.

A few candidates who didn’t turn up to cast their vote told NewsClick that a letter from one of the militant outfits was delivered to their respective residences in which it was clearly mentioned that if they contest, they will be killed.

The elections may have been conducted easily had it not been for the civilian killings in the last few days, which has led to the widespread unrest, said one candidate.

“Many contestants wrote to the authorities voicing concern that this wasn’t the right time for elections. They gave us full assurance of providing security. But the situation is in south Kashmir is grave,” one of the contestants (wishing anonymity) told NewsClick.

He further said that “it’s not just the conflict which is the reason for lower voter turnout, it’s also due to general lack of development, and the attitude of the government in dealing with the people of Kashmir.”