Stage Set for Third Phase Polling, 7.37 Lakh Voters to Decide Fate of 305 Candidates

A total of 7.37 lakh voters will decide the fate of 305 candidates contesting in the third phase of the District Development Council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. State Election Commissioner (SEC) K K Sharma on Thursday said adequate security arrangements have been made in all constituencies going to polls.

Urging people to follow all COVID-19 guidelines while exercising their franchise, he said sanitisers, thermal scanners and face masks have been arranged at polling stations. The DDC elections and panchayat bypolls are being held in eight phases from November 28 to December 19. The counting of votes will be done on December 22.

Giving details about the DDC elections, Sharma said there are a total 280 constituencies in the UT, out of which voting will be conducted in 33 constituencies, including 16 from Kashmir division and 17 from Jammu division, from 7 am to 2 pm. A total 305 candidates, including 166 from Kashmir division and 139 from Jammu division, are contesting for the DDC polls. Out of these 305 candidates, 252 are male, while 53 are female.

Sharma said 7,37,648 people are eligible to cast their votes in the third phase of DDC polls. Talking about by-elections for sarpanchs, he said out of 126 constituencies, polling will take place in 66 constituencies and a total of 184 candidates are in the fray.

Forty sarpanch constituencies have been filled unopposed. Similarly, in panch by-elections, there are 1,738 constituencies, and out of them 798 have been elected unopposed, he said, adding that voting will take place in 327 constituencies and 749 candidates are in the fray.