Jammu and Kashmir Chief Electoral Officer said municipal elections in the state will be held in 4 phases next month.
Amid militant threats and boycott call by political parties and separatists alike, the schedule of Municipal polls in Jammu and Kashmir was announced on Saturday.
Shaleen Kabra, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Electoral Officer, said municipal elections in the state will be held in 4 phases next month.
"Date of polling would be October 8, October 10, October 13 and October 16. Counting will take place on October 20 after voting for all the phases are over. Poll hours will be from 7 am to 2 pm," Kabra said.
Last municipal polls in Jammu and Kashmir were held in 2005 for the term of five years term. There are 47 Municipal Council/Committees in Kashmir division and 37 in Jammu division. Municipal Corporation of Srinagar has 73 wards while as Municipal Corporation of Jammu consists of 71 wards. There are three Municipal Councils each in Kashmir and Jammu divisions.
The schedule for Panchayat polls is yet to be announced.
Earlier, reports said that elections to municipal bodies would be conducted in four phases with polling dates between October 1 to October 5, 2018.
The panchayats polls were expected to be held in eight phases with polling dates between November 8 and December 4, 2018.
Panchayat polls are being held in Jammu and Kashmir after a two-year delay. Panchayat elections were last held in 2011 after 33 years hiatus in Jammu and Kashmir.
More than 80% people had defied militants and cast their votes in the Panchayat elections in 2011. More than 33,000 Panchayat representatives were elected in the polls across the state in 2011.
A high-level security meeting was chaired by the Director General of Police Dilbag Singh on Friday to discuss the forthcoming polls with all district Senior Superintendents of Police and Deputy Inspector General of Police of the Kashmir Zone.
Around 203 companies of the paramilitary forces have arrived in the valley to maintain peace and law and order to ensure free and fair elections scheduled to be held from next month.
While the Congress yes to take a call on the participation in the local polls, the PDP and the National Conference have boycotted the elections over contentious Article 35A of the constitution, which is facing a legal challenge in the Supreme Court.
The Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Saturday requested all parties to participate in the elections.
"Matter of Article 35 A is sub-judice for a long time. We had said that we can't take a stand until a new govt is formed here. I would like to request them to participate in the election. Elections are neither for Delhi nor me but for the people of J&K," Malik said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Picture for representation, AFP")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}