Rain adds to voters' reluctance in Srinagar, Ganderbal

Early morning rain accompanied by chilly winds kept most voters at home on Tuesday, and only a few ventured out for balloting in the fourth phase of Jammu and Kashmir municipal polls.

Polling is being held in 37 wards of Srinagar and Ganderbal districts, which started at 6 a.m. and would end at 4 p.m.

Till 9 a.m., Srinagar recorded 0.5 per cent polling, while it was 3.69 in Ganderbal district, a poll official said.

Voting was underway in 308 polling stations, State Chief Electoral Officer Shaleen Kabra said. There are 156 candidates in the fray for 37 wards of two urban local bodies which comprises 2,50,794 electorate.

Additional poll staff has been deployed at all polling stations with larger number of electorate. Mobile internet services have been suspended in both districts.

There are 12 wards in Municipal Committee Ganderbal with 8,491 voters and there are 38 candidates in the fray, Kabra said.

There are 24 wards in Srinagar Municipal Corporation with a total of 2,41,043 electorate and 113 candidates in fray. A total of 295 polling stations have been established for the purpose, she added.

"Repolling is underway at one polling station in ward 41 of Srinagar district," Kabra said.

In the last three phases the overall poll percentage has been 41.9 per cent, the poll official added.

Municipal polls were last held in the state in 2005.

About 17 lakh electorate are voting in the 2018 civic polling process for 79 municipal bodies. A total of 3,372 nominations were filed for 1,145 wards.

Counting would take place on October 20.

--IANS

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