By Kaveesha Fernando
SRINAGAR, India (CWBN)_ Phase four of the District Development Council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir saw a lacklustre start this morning due to freezing temperatures which caused voter turnout to dwindle. Today’s election marks the halfway point for the Jammu and Kashmir polls, which are being contested in eight phases. This is the first democratic election to be held in Jammu and Kashmir.
34 DDC seats are being contested – 17 each in the Kashmir and Jammu division. Polling began at 7 am and is due to conclude by 2 pm this evening – it is hoped that voter turnout will improve later in the day. Voter turnout in the past three phases ranged from 48 to 51 per cent. 138 candidates are contesting in Kashmir, of whom 48 are women, while 111 candidates, including 34 women, are on the ballot in Jammu.
Following the removal of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution (which granted Jammu and Kashmir special status), the historic People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration’s (PAGD) was formed to contest in the election, and they seem to be the crowd favourite. PAGD is an amalgam of seven of the region’s political parties, who have formed an alliance in a fight to bring back Article 370. Article 370 allowed Jammu and Kashmir limited autonomy, which included a separate constitution, flag and the freedom to make laws independently. However, it appears that this alliance of former rivals is not without its problems – Indian media reports that there have been tensions within PAGD.
As with the polls in other regions of India such as Bihar, health and safety measures have been introduced in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. These include the use of thermal scanners and provision of hand sanitiser and face masks.
