Jammu and Kashmir is conducting its second phase of Panchayat polls, today. The Panchayat polls are divided into nine phases and started from Saturday.
A total of 4,014 candidates are contesting 281 Sarpanch seats and 1,286 Panch seats. Almost 90 Sarpanchs and 1,069 Panchs were elected unopposed in the second phase.
Security was tightened around approximately 2,179 polling stations across Jammu and Kashmir. The hypersensitive polling stations were specially taken care of in terms of security.
An election official said, “Polling is underway at 2,179 polling stations across the state, including 828 in Kashmir division and 1,351 in Jammu divisions.”
In order to inform the voters about their polling stations, photo voter slips were given to them. The Government declared a holiday, today, in the areas where polls are being conducted.
The major parties of Jammu and Kashmir, the People’s Democratic Party and the National Conference, boycotted all the elections in the region.
Amid all the boycotts by the political parties and a separatist group, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a voter turnout of 79.4 % and 64.5 % respectively, during the first phase of the Panchayat polls.
The Panchayat polls will continue until the 11th of December in Jammu and Kashmir.
