Jammu-Kashmir Civic Polls Live: 53 % overall voter turnout till 3 pm

The first phase of urban local body (ULB) polls began in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.The state’s two main parties —the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) — have boycotted the elections over the “lack of clarity” surrounding the Centre’s stand on legal challenges in the Supreme Court to Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.The NC and PDP’s boycott has made the polls a direct contest between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) amid an escalation in violence in the state.Here are the live updates:

4:10 pm IST

People queue outside a polling booth in Gorakh Nagar in Jammu. (ANI/Twitter)

53 % overall turnout in Jammu and Kashmir civic polls at 3 pm

The poll % was released by Chief Electoral Officer J&K

Jammu District – 59 %

Poonch – 72 %

Rajouri – 78 %

Jammu region– 61 %

Kashmir region - 17.5 %

North Kashmir districts – 25 %

Overall Jammu and Kashmir and Kashmir – 53 %

3:50 pm IST

Kargil takes lead with 73.6% voter turnout

Voter turnout in Jammu and Kashmir municipal polls witnessed a significant boost, with Kargil taking over the lead from Rajouri in terms of voter turnout as of 1 PM on Monday.

12:15pm IST

BJP candidate in Bandipora hurt in stone pelting

BJP candidate Adil Buhroo in Ward number 3 of Bandipora hurt in stone pelting.

BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur says Buhroo has suffered minor injuries but is stable.

12:05pm IST

Voter turnout till 11am

11:05am IST

11% polling in Handwara till 9am

11% polling in Handwara till 9am, say election officials.

10:14am IST

Heavy security deployed at polling booth in Baramulla

 For Baramulla council, the response has been cold with just 37 people out of 937 casting their votes while no vote was polled in Azad Ganj ward of Janbazpora block of Baramulla district which has 1100 votes.

#JammuAndKashmir: Heavy security deployed at a polling booth in Baramulla as voting for local body elections is underway pic.twitter.com/zKZgO819KK— ANI (@ANI) October 8, 2018

9:45am IST

Govt officials stops media from entering poll booths

Govt officials stops media from entering poll booths Handwara and Kupwara towns. Officials says this is to ensure safety of voters.

9:15am IST

75 votes in 3 wards of Srinagar in first two hours

Seventy-five votes in three wards of Srinagar in first two hours of polling, say elections officials.

7:39am IST

Mobile Internet services suspended in south Kashmir

Mobile Internet services have been suspended in south Kashmir in the view of the first phase of urban local bodies elections. Mobile Internet speed has been reduced to 2G in other parts of the Kashmir Valley, ANI reports.

7:15am IST

Voting begins in districts of Anantnag, Jammu, Kargil

Voting begins in districts of Anantnag-4 wards, Budgam-1 ward, Bandipore-16 wards, Baramulla-15, Jammu-153, Kargil-13, Kupwara-18, Leh-13, Poonch-26, Rajouri-59 and Srinagar-3 wards, reports news agency ANI.

7:04am IST

Voting for phase 1 of election begins

Voting begins for 422 of the 1,145 wards in the first of the four phases of urban local bodies elections in Jammu and Kashmir. 

#JammuAndKashmir: Voting begins in 11 districts in the first of the four phases of urban local bodies elections; Visuals from Ward no. 48 in Jammu pic.twitter.com/V6QhmfWTLG— ANI (@ANI) October 8, 2018