On the first day of submission of nomination forms for the municipal polls in Jammu & Kashmir, only four nomination forms were issued by the elections offices across valley while no one submitted his nomination form, election officials said on Tuesday. While most of the valley drew blank on the first day, the four nomination forms were issued in Bandipore.
For most of the day, the officials at the District Election Offices were waiting for the candidates to receive and submit their nomination forms. But no one turned up except at Bandipore, where nomination forms were issued to four candidates. “We have issued four forms today but no one has submitted his nomination form on the first day,” Deputy Commissioner Bandipore Shahid Choudhary told The Indian Express. The polls for the Bandipore Municipal Committee – comprising 43 wards – are slated for October 8. The last date for submitting nomination is September 25.
On Tuesday, the government issued notification for 13 municipal committees, a municipal council and parts of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC).
In south Kashmir, the ground zero of militancy, no nomination form has been received or issued in the two districts of Kulgam and Anantnag that are going to polls in the first phase. In Anantnag district, three municipal committees – Achabal, Kokernag and Qazigund – are going to polls on October 8 while two municipal committees – Kulgam and Devsar – are going to polls in the first phase.
“Nobody came to take the nomination form today,” said Deputy Commissioner Kulgam Sahmeem Ahmad Wani. An election official in Anantnag said they had not issued any nomination form on Tuesday in any of the three municipal councils.
In the twin districts of Baramulla and Kupwara in north Kashmir, one municipal council – Baramulla – and two municipal committees of Kupwara and Handwara are going to polls in the first phase. On Tuesday, no nomination form was issued or submitted in these districts.
“We have not issued or submitted any nomination form today,” said Deputy District Election Officer Baramulla Sameer Jan. “But some people came to us today asking for the procedure to submit the nomination forms,” he said. Kupwara election cell in-charge Ghulam Mohammad Malik said: “We have not issued any nomination form in Kupwara or Handwara municipal committee today.”
In central Kashmir, election notification was issued for three municipal committees of Budgam district and some parts of Srinagar Municipal Corporation. However, no one turned up at the District Election Offices in these two districts. The municipal polls for the 40 municipal committees, three municipal councils and a corporation would be held in four phases from October 8 to October 16.
