J&K: Final phase of DDC polls today; voting to be held in 28 constituencies

Srinagar, Dec 18: The staggered voting for the maiden District Development Council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir will conclude on Saturday as 28 constituencies are set to go for polling in the eighth and final phase. Voting will also be held for 369 vacant panch and sarpanch seats on Saturday across Jammu and Kashmir, state election commissioner K K Sharma told reporters here on Friday.

"A total of 28 DDC constituencies will go to polls including 13 seats from Kashmir division and 15 from Jammu division, with 168 candidates contesting the last leg of the elections," Sharma said.

Giving details, he said against the 13 DDC constituencies of the Kashmir division going to the polls on Saturday, there are 83 candidates in fray, including 31 women.

In the Jammu division, there are 85 candidates, including 15 women, in fray for the 15 DDC constituencies in this phase, he added. "Over 6.30 lakh electors including 3,03,275 female voters are going to elect their representatives in the 28 DDC constituencies," Sharma said.

There are 1,703 polling stations - 1,028 in Kashmir division and 6,75 in Jammu division -- where voting will take place on Saturday. Sharma said of the sarpanch vacancies notified in the eighth phase, 43 have been elected unopposed. There shall be a contest in 84 constituencies and 249 candidates, including 52 women, are in fray, he added.

Sharma said all the requisite arrangements for the final phase are in place, including manpower, election material and security arrangements, in all the poll-bound areas. The eight-phased polling for DDC polls, which are being held for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir, began on November 28.

The first seven phases have witnessed high participation in the Jammu division and a few pockets in the Kashmir valley, with more than 50 per cent turnout recorded so far. The counting of votes for all 280 DDC constituencies will be held on December 22.