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चैत्र कृष्ण पक्ष, गुरूवार, तृतीया, संकट निवारण चर्तुथी

News

BJP sweeps civic body polls in Kulgam  Wins 10 of 13 seats unopposed in south Kashmir district


Date:- 01 Oct 2018


Azhar Qadri  

BJP candidates have won 10 of the 13 municipal seats unopposed ahead of the civic body elections in the volatile Kulgam district of south Kashmir.

BJP candidates have won eight seats in Devsar and two seats in Kulgam — two of the four municipal committees going to polls next week, Kulgam District Election Officer Shamim Ahmad Wani told The Tribune.

Three independent candidates have also won uncontested in the Kulgam municipal committee, he said.

Kulgam has four municipal committees — Kulgam, Devsar, Yaripora and Frisal. While the local body elections will be held in Kulgam and Devsar municipal committees in the first phase on Monday next week, Yaripora and Frisal will go to polls in the second phase on Wednesday next week.

Two major political parties based in Kashmir — the National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party — have boycotted the election, while the BJP and Congress have fielded their candidates.

Kulgam is one of the four districts in the volatile south Kashmir, a region which has emerged as the epicentre of new-age militancy.

The threats from militants, who hold a dominating presence in south Kashmir and have warned against participation in the upcoming polls, are resulting in minimal filing of nominations from the four south Kashmir districts.

The victory of BJP candidates, even though without a fight, will be a major success for the party which had previously failed to find a foothold in Muslim-majority Kashmir valley.

Poll boycott

78 wards (69 in the Valley) go uncontested

80 wards to go to the polls in the first phase on Oct 8 in the Valley

South Kashmir
30 wards go uncontested (5 in Kulgam, 8 in Devsar, 5 in Achabal, 8 in Kokernag and 4 in Qazigund)

Central Kashmir
24 wards go uncontested (9 in Budgam, 8 in Chadoora and 7 in Khansahib)

North Kashmir
15 wards go uncontested (6 in Baramulla, 2 in Kupwara, 6 in Handwara and 1 in Bandipora)