NEW DELHI: Jammu & Kashmir voters on Friday queued for the third phase of voting in the District Development Council (DDC) elections where residents in 33 constituencies are set to vote. Voting began at 7 am and will continue till 2 pm. The elections will conclude on November 19 and counting will take place on December 22.
Here are the top developments: - A total of 7.27 lakh voters will exercise their voting right to decide the fate of 305 candidates in the third phase of DDC polls.
- Out of the total 280 constituencies in the union territory of J&K, in the third phase voting will be conducted in 33 constituencies - 16 from Kashmir division and 17 from Jammu division.
- As many as 166 candidates from Kashmir division and 139 from Jammu division are contesting polls, said State Election Commissioner (SEC) KK Sharma.
- Adequate security arrangements have been made. The Election Commission also urged people to follow Covid-19 guidelines.
- The voting for 280 constituencies will take place in eight phases and coincides with by-polls for sarpanch and panch elections.
- In the by-polls for Sarpanch posts, 66 of the total 126 constituencies will be polling on Friday. A total of 184 candidates are in the fray.
- In panch by-polls, out of 1,738 constituencies 798 have been elected unopposed. Voting will take place in 327 constituencies for which 749 candidates are in the fray.
- The first phase was held on November 28 with nearly 52 percent electorate exercising their franchise in both divisions.
- In 43 constituencies that went to polls in the second phase of District Development Council (DDC) elections, total voter turnout was 48.62 per cent. While the Jammu division recorded an average voter turnout of 65.54 per cent, the Kashmir division recorded 33.34 per cent voter turnout.
- The DDC elections and sarpanch & panch by-polls mark the first democratic exercise in Jammu and Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state into two union territories last year.