Jammu and Kashmir BDC Election Result 2019 LATEST Updates: The Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) has won eight of the 17 blocks in Udhampur district while the BJP has managed to win just four blocks. The Bhim Singh-led JKNPP won Janganoo, Khoon, Kulwanta, Latti Marothi, Majalta, Parli Dhar, Ramnagar, and Chanunta blocks in the district. The BJP, on the other hand, won in four blocks namely Dudu Basantgarh, Ghordi, Panchari and Udhampur.
BJP party workers in Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir were seen celebrating on the streets after the party's candidates in the Jammu and Kashmir Block Development Council elections emerged victorious in several Muslims areas of the district.
Saffron party candidate Mohammad Aslam from Darhal, Zahida Ashraf from Khwas, Darbar Choudhary from Rajouri, Parveen Akhter from Plangarh, Shamshad Begum from Manjakote and Advocate Khaliq Hussain from Qila Darhal, were among the key winners from the district.
"The smooth conduct of BDC election is a tight slap on the faces of those who never wanted democracy to flourish in Jammu and Kashmir," said BJP leader Vibodh Gupta while congratulating all elected candidates in Rajouri.
"The success of the BDC elections and democracy at the grassroots level are some achievements of the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre that has become the biggest nightmare for the Abdullah-Mufti family," Vibodh added.
Meanwhile, in the Reasi district of Jammu, out of the 12 blocks, Independent candidates have won in eight blocks while the BJP has won in the four remaining blocks — Arnas, Bhomag, Jij Bagli and Panthal.
A total of 1,092 candidates are in the fray in the election for chairpersons of 310 BDCs in Jammu and Kashmir, that was held on was held on Thursday. Of them, candidates in 27 BDCs have been elected unopposed. The electoral exercise, the first in the state after the abrogation of its special status, was boycotted by the Congress, the National Conference and the PDP.
The final voter turnout in most districts of the 22 districts in Jammu and Kashmir was above 95 percent with the maximum in Srinagar, where a 100 percent turnout was registered.
In the Jammu and Kashmir Block Development Council (BDC), the Jammu district recorded a final voter turnout of 99.5 percent. Eleven of the 20 blocks – Akhnoor, Arnia, Chowki Choura, Kharah Balli, Khour, Maira Mandrian, Mathwar, Miran Sahib, Nagrota, Pargwal and RS Pura – recorded a turnout of 100 percent.
Senior Superintendent of Police Rajouri Yougal Manhas took stock of the situation in the polling booths in the district and said no untoward incidents were reported with peaceful polling being carried out in the entire district. He also added that no ceasefire violations have taken place either.
"No ceasefire violation in LoC have taken place. All 19 blocks in Rajouri district have had smooth polling and no untoward incident was reported. In one or two blocks, there was even a turnout 100 percent, with most districts registering 80 to 90 percent turnout," said Yougal.
The voter turnout recorded in the hill district of Shopian stood at 82 percent, with polling being conducted in two centres, where four candidates were in the poll arena. The total number of voters from these two centres were 34.
Polling was held peacefully in most districts, especially in Kulgam district. No major untoward incident has been reported during the election.
"We had conducted voting in two centres in Shopian, where the polling was conducted peacefully. There are four candidates in fray from the district and the fate of them will be decided by 34 voters," said Choudhary Mohammad Yasin, Deputy Commissioner of Shopian.
According to officials, there are 72 candidates in the poll arena from Kathua district who are contesting in block developments councils (BDC) of Jammu and Kashmir election for the post of a chairperson.
The total number of votes polled in Rajouri is 1,691 of a total of 2,687 votes till 11 am. In seventeen blocks – Chanunta, Chenani, Dudu, Ghordi, Jaganoo, Khoon, Kulwanta, Latti Marothi, Majalta, Moungri, Narsoo, Panchari, Parli Dhar, Ramanagar, Sewna, Tikri and Udhamour – the total number of votes polled till 10 am is 416. The voter turnout of all these 17 blocks is recorded at 20.08 percent.
Peaceful voting in Rajouri district of Jammu region is currently underway amid heavy security arrangements.
A total of 164 observers, 280 Returning Officers, 280 Assistant Returning Officers and 860 polling staff has been deployed for the Jammu and Kashmir Block Development Council (BDC) polls.
Polling in the Jammu and Kashmir block development council (BDC) began on Thursday morning amid tight security, with the Congress, National Conference and the PDP boycotting the first electoral exercise after abrogation of the state's special status.
"The polling has started at all the polling stations from 9.00 am this morning. There has been no reports of delay from anywhere," state Chief Electoral Officer Shailender Kumar told PTI.
The highest number of 101 candidates are trying their luck from north Kashmir's Kupwara district, followed by nearby Baramulla (90), Jammu (82), Rajouri (76), Doda (74), Kathua (72) Udhampur and Budgam (58 each), Kishtwar (44), Ramban (43) and Reasi (39), officials said.
Leh and Kargil districts together accounted for 74 candidates – 38 from Kargil and 36 from Leh, while Shopian district in south Kashmir has the lowest number of only four candidates.
Director General of Police Dilbag Singh on Wednesday reviewed the law and order situation in Jammu region and directed for beefing up of security around vital installations, including the airport, railway stations and civil secretariat.
The DGP chaired the high level joint meeting of various security agencies at Police Control Room here and took stock of the security situation in Jammu region, preparedness for Block Development Council (BDC) Election, situation on the borders, security of the airport, railway stations and vital installations, a police spokesman said.
The chief electoral officer earlier said that twenty-seven candidates in the 310 blocks have been elected chairpersons in various block developments councils (BDC) of Jammu and Kashmir unopposed.
“A total of 27 candidates have been elected unopposed in various blocks of Jammu and Kashmir," said chief electoral officer, Jammu and Kashmir, Shailendra Kumar.
After the final withdrawal of nomination papers, 1,065 candidates are left in the fray for election of chairpersons for 283 BDCs.
The maiden Jammu and Kashmir Block Development Council (BDC) election — the second tier in the Panchayati Raj system — on Thursday (24 October), will see 1,065 candidates in the fray across 310 polling stations. The mainstream political parties — NC, PDP and the Congress — have boycotted the first electoral exercise in the state after the Centre's 5 August decision to scrap the special status under Article 370.
As many as 26,629 electors — 8,313 women and 18,316 men — from across the state will cast their votes in their respective blocks to elect the BDC chairpersons. Any panch or sarpanch will be eligible for the post of block chairperson.
According to officials, adequate security arrangements are in place at the polling stations, and for over 26,000 panches and sarpanches — elected in November-December in 2018 — who will also vote in their respective blocks to elect the BDC chairpersons.
Security personnel keep vigil as voters line up outside a polling booth in Jammu and Kashmir. Image credit: Arjun Sharma/101Reporters
There are 316 blocks in the state, but the election will be held in 310 as two of them are without elected panches and sarpanches, and four blocks reserved for women have no women candidates, the officials said.
Of the 310 blocks, candidates in 27 blocks have been elected unopposed. So voting will be held only in 283 blocks, The Indian Express reported.
The election department informed that 1,092 nominations, including 853 Independents candidates and 218 from the BJP, were found eligible after scrutiny and withdrawal.
The highest number of candidates are in north Kashmir's Kupwara district (101) and the lowest in south Kashmir's Shopian (4), PTI reported.
There are 90 candidates in Baramulla, 82 in Jammu, 76 in Rajouri, 74 in Doda, 72 in Kathua, 58 each in Udhampur and Budgam, 44 in Kishtwar, 43 in Ramban and 39 in Reasi, the officials said.
Leh and Kargil districts together account for 74 candidates, 38 from Kargil and 36 from Leh.Five candidates are in the fray from Srinagar district.
Speaking to The Indian Express, J&K’s Chief Electoral Office Shailendra Kumar said, "We are ready and everything is in place. All polling material has been despatched and the staff have been trained. Counting will take place immediately after the elections are over."
According to officials, the BDC polls will pave the way for elections to the District Planning and Development Boards (DPDB), the third-tier of Panchayati Raj, and thus spur development in the state.
Meanwhile, the state unit of Congress on Wednesday accused the BJP of making a "mockery of democracy" by "forcing" the main Opposition parties to stay away from the electoral exercise.
The Congress along with the main regional parties — the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party — have boycotted the BDC polls citing indifferent attitude of the state administration and continued detention of the party leaders in the Valley.
"Holding of elections to BDCs at this juncture and forcing the major Opposition parties to stay away from the election is betrayal with the electorates and mockery of democracy," Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said.
He said this is the first such election in the history of the state and the country when only the ruling party is in the contest.
"The government went ahead with the BDC election that too on party basis without caring for the basic democratic, rich traditions and fundamental essence for elections in the country. The entire opposition leaders were detained for more than two months (in Jammu) and still most of Opposition leaders in Kashmir are not permitted to move out," he said.
With inputs from agencies
