As the voting day for the first phase of the urban local bodies elections draws closer, political parties and Independents are making intense last-minute efforts to woo the electorate as 238 municipal wards of the Jammu division heads for a fierce electoral battle on October 8.
From road shows to small public meetings and from distributing pamphlets to door-to-door campaigns, political parties and Independents have embarked on different strategies to garner public support to register a win in the civic elections.
In contrast to the Kashmir Valley where the poll din is still missing, the Jammu division is abuzz with the noise of loudspeakers and door-to-door campaigning. Independents are relying mainly on person-to-person meetings to enhance their prospects.
Despite terror threats and poll boycott call by two mainstream political parties NC and PDP, at least 1,283 candidates are in the fray for 422 municipal wards in the first phase.
The campaigning for the first phase will come to an end on October 6. The state has a total of 1,145 municipal wards. Of 422 municipal wards going to the polls in the first phase, 149 are in Kashmir, 26 in Ladakh and 247 wards in Jammu.
There are 1,010 candidates contesting in the Jammu division whereas nine nominees have been declared elected uncontested. In Kashmir, there are 246 candidates contesting on 149 wards, while 69 have been declared winners uncontested. In Ladakh, 66 contestants are pitched for 26 municipal wards.
For the first phase, the electorate strength for Jammu division is 4,83,831. This includes 4,00,301 voters for 75 wards of Jammu Municipal Corporation. The voter count in Kashmir stands at 1, 07,188 and for Ladakh 20,225.
While the BJP is still banking on “Modi magic” to win the civic bodies elections, Congress candidates are mobilizing voters through personal rapport. The pictures of national leaders are missing from the posters and banners of Congress candidates while the BJP candidates are using pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party’s national president Amit Shah to reach out to voters.
State leaders of these parties, however, have jumped into the poll campaign by holding rallies and public interactions.
66 Contestants in Ladakh, 41,83,831 voters in Jammu division, 1, 07,188 in Kashmir and 20,225 in Ladakh
First phase on October 8
- 422 wards to go to polls —- 247 in Jammu, 149 in Kashmir, 26 Ladakh.
- 1,010 candidates contesting in Jammu division, 9 declared elected uncontested
- 246 candidates in Kashmir, 69 elected uncontested
