Third phase of panchayat polls begins in Kashmir
April 21st, 2011 - 12:55 pm ICT by ANISrinagar, Apr 21 (ANI): Polling was underway for the third phase of the multi-phased panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.
Five blocks in the Kashmir Valley and five in the Jammu region are voting in the first phase.
Voting started at 8 am and ends at 2 pm. Long queues of voters were seen in Wayil village of North Kashmir’s Ganderbal District where there is a keen contest for the sarpanch’s post.
No electronic voting machines are being used in these elections. Ballot papers would be cast by the voters after they put stamps on the names and symbols of the candidates of their choice.
The sarpanches for various village constituencies are also being chosen through direct elections in the Panchayat polls
For the first time, these elections are being fought on a non-party basis, which means no mainstream political party has been allowed to field their own candidates, or interfere directly in this electoral exercise.
A high level security review has already been under taken for the 4128 panchayats going to polls across the state.
Besides taking stock of specific threat perceptions at the village level, security personnel have also been deployed in all areas to encourage voters to come out and vote.
The panchayat polls are being held after successful state assembly elections in 2008. The last panchayat elections were held in 2001. (ANI)
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Tags: assembly elections, ballot papers, constituencies, electoral exercise, electronic voting machines, jammu and kashmir, jammu region, kashmir, kashmir valley, level security, north kashmir, panchayat elections, queues, security personnel, security review, srinagar, stamps, state assembly, taking stock, threat perceptions