Tight security for second phase of polling in DDC election in J-K
7.90 lakh voters are eligible for voting in the second phase of the District Development Council in Jammu and Kashmir.
Polling will be held for 43 seats in the second phase of election for the District Development Council in Jammu and Kashmir amid tight security on Tuesday.
On Saturday, in the first phase of polling 51.7% voting was recorded. The polling passed off peacefully without any major incident. The eight-phase election will end on December 19 and the counting will be held on December 22.
“Of the total 280 DDC constituencies in J&K, 25 will go to polls in Kashmir and 18 in Jammu in the second phase of the election,” State Election Commissioner, K K Sharma said.
Sharma said that 7.90 lakh voters are eligible for voting in the second phase and 142 polling stations have been set up across the union territory.
He said that 321 candidates are in the fray for the second phase of the DDC polls, 196 in Kashmir and 125 in Jammu. “In Kashmir, 1,305 polling stations have been set up and 837 in Jammu for the second phase of polling.”
Sharma said that in Kashmir all the polling stations are sensitive and adequate security arrangements have been made for the polling.
He also said that 58 sarpanches and 804 panches have been elected unopposed in the bypolls.”The elections will be held for 164 panchayat halqas. In the second phase, polling will be held for 87 sarpanch seats for which 223 candidates are in the fray. Polling will also be held for 705 panch seats tomorrow. A total of 1,815 panches will be elected in the bypolls.”
He said in the first phase, people came out in good numbers to vote for which all political parties and independent candidates need to be complimented. “For the second phase people should also come out to vote without fear.”
He said security arrangements for the second phase of the DDC election will be more elaborate and 169 companies of central forces would be deployed at polling stations and during the de-induction of the staff.
“The panches and sarpanches who got elected will be provided proper security after proper assessment,” Sharma said.