Amid chilly winter conditions and tight security arrangements the polling for second phase of DDC election concluded in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday with 48.62% polling recorded.
As per the figures given by the office of State Election Commissioner, Kashmir division recorded an overall polling percentage of 33.34% while Jammu region recorded 65.54%.
In the second phase of the district development council (DDC) elections, voting is taking place in 43 constituencies, including 25 in Kashmir and 18 in Jammu, with 321 candidates in the fray and 7.90 lakh voters eligible to exercise their franchise.
In the first phase of polling held on Saturday, also for 43 seats, 51.76% voting was recorded. The election, for which 2,146 polling stations have been set up, will be held in eight phases till December 19. Counting of votes will take place on December 22.
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 August 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 The special status of the erstwhile state under Article 370 was revoked in August 2019 by the Parliament and it was bifurcated into the UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Published 01 December 2020, 09:20 IST