Amid tight security arrangements, the polling for the fourth phase of DDC election is underway in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday with 41.94 per cent polling recorded till 1 pm.
As per the figures given by the office of State Election Commissioner, Kashmir division recorded an overall polling percentage of 25.54 per cent while Jammu region recorded 59.38 per cent upto 1 pm.
In the fourth phase of the district development council (DDC) elections, voting is taking place in 17 constituencies each in Kashmir and Jammu divisions. Along with this, by-polls to 50 vacant sarpanch seats and 216 vacant panch seats within these DDC constituencies is also being held.
Also Read | Voting underway in 4th phase of DDC polls in J&K
As many as 7,17,322 electors are eligible to cast their votes including 3,76,797 males and 3,40,525 females, amongst these 3,50,149 are from Jammu division and 3,67,173 are from Kashmir division.
In the first three phases of the elections held on November 28, December 1 and December 4, 51.76 per cent, 48.62 per cent and 50.53 per cent polling was recorded, respectively.
Out of the 1,910 polling stations, 1,152 have been declared hyper-sensitive, 349 sensitive and 409 as normal. The voting started at 7 am and ended at 2 pm.
In the election, People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration comprising National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party, Peoples Conference and other parties are locked in a direct contest with the BJP.
The DDC polls mark the Centre’s first attempt at restoring democratic processes in the region, following the revocation of its special status and bifurcation in 2019. In the absence of an elected government in the UT, these Councils are set to become a new unit of governance in Jammu and Kashmir.
J&K has been under the central rule since June 2018 when the BJP pulled out of the alliance government with the PDP. The special status of the erstwhile state under Article 370 was revoked in August 2019 by the Parliament and it was bifurcated into the UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.