Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Dec 1: Curtains were brought down on about 10 days long hectic campaigning and battle lines drawn among major political parties for elections to four seats of Legislative Council this evening as stage was set for 33,540 Panchayat members to elect their four representatives to the Upper House on December 3, two each from Jammu and Kashmir divisions.
While 15,628 Sarpanchs and Panchs would elect two MLCs in Jammu division from a total of 21 candidates, 17,912 Panchayat members would cast their votes for two members to the Upper House in Kashmir division from amongst 16 candidates.
This is for the first time after 1974 that elections to four seats of Legislative Council from the quota of Panchayat members are being held. Elections were held to Panchayats last year after nearly four decades.
Counting of the votes would take place in Jammu and Srinagar on December 6 for two seats each. EVMs would be shifted from all district headquarters to two rotational capital cities on December 4 and 5.
Official sources told the Excelsior that in view of high threat perception to the Panchayat members from the militants, 27 companies of para-military CRPF have been deployed for the elections. Twenty companies have been deployed in polling stations in Kashmir division and seven in Jammu division.
In addition to CRPF, majority of police personnel from police stations and reserve battalions would be deployed at the polling booths and other vulnerable places to ensure incident free polling.
The Election Commission has declared 57 polling stations as sensitive, 42 as hyper sensitive and 46 as normal.
Police authorities have asked the senior police officers to sanitise all polling stations tomorrow i.e. a day ahead of the voting and ensure deployment well in advance.
The EVMs and polling staff to mountainous areas like Dachchan, Warwan and Marwah in Kishtwar district was airlifted today. Staff and EVMs were also airlifted in some parts of Kashmir division. Five polling officials would be deployed in each polling station.
The Election Commission has picked up staff in a way that no local officer-whether a resident of that block or having posting there-was deployed in the polling station.
Sources said all arrangements have been made for smooth conduct of elections on Monday. Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and polling staff has been dispatched to far off and remote areas while the EVMs and staff would reach plain areas by tomorrow evening or early Sunday morning.
The Election Commission has set up 145 polling stations, all at block headquarters, for voting by the Panchayat members. There were 79 polling stations in Kashmir division, which comprised Kashmir and Ladakh regions and 66 in Jammu division.
Sources said each block would have two EVMs (one each for J-1 and J-2 constituencies) in Jammu division and (one each for K-1 and K-2 constituencies) in Kashmir division. Every Sarpanch and Panch would be entitled to cast two votes, one each in the two constituencies of his division.
The candidates securing highest number of votes in all four constituencies (J-1 and J-2 in Jammu division and K-1 and K-2 in Kashmir division) would be declared as elected.
In addition to the Election Commission officials, two Observers appointed by the EC including Shant Manu and Atal Duloo would move in their divisions-Kashmir and Jammu respectively-to entertain complaints, if any, from the candidates or their polling agents.
All major political parties including National Conference and Congress, which were contesting the elections in alliance, PDP, BJP and NPP held high pitched campaign for their candidates all across the State after November 19, the last date for withdrawal of nomination papers.
Chief Minister and National Conference working president, Omar Abdullah, PCC (I) chief Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz, PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and party president Mehbooba Mufti, BJP leaders Shamsher Singh Manhas, Dr Nirmal Singh and Dr Jitendera Singh and NPP leaders Bhim Singh, Harshdev Singh and Balwant Singh Mankotia led the campaign for their party candidates.
The campaigning also saw Omar and Soz addressing joint rallies in Kashmir.
In Kashmir division, Ali Mohammad Dar of National Conference, who happened to be provincial president of the party, would face Peer Mohammad Hussain, a former Minister of PDP and Mohammad Iqbal Wani of National Panthers Party (NPP) among others for K-1 seat while Ghulam Nabi Monga of Congress is locked in contest with Yaseer Rishi of PDP, Mohammad Maqbool Malik of NPP and Ashraf Ali of BJP among others.
The BJP has not fielded any candidate for K-1 seat.
The Election Commission has allotted party symbols to candidates of recognized political parties including National Conference, Congress, PDP, BJP, NPP and BSP.
In J-1 seat, National Conference and Congress, which were contesting the election in alliance with each other, have fielded Sham Lal Bhagat of Congress, who would face, Colonel (Retired) Uttam Singh of BJP, Gurmeet Singh of PDP, Anita Thakur of NPP and Harjeet Kumar of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) besides Independent candidates.
In J-2 seat, Dr Shahnaz Ganai of NC, who is the Alliance candidate, would be facing Ved Mahajan of PDP, Rashpal Verma of BJP, Mohammad Rafiq Chandel of NPP and Ram Chand of BSP besides the Independent candidates.
Of total 21 candidates left in fray for Jammu division, 14 were contesting for J-1 seat and seven for J-2 seat.
The National Conference and Congress has fielded two candidates each-one each in Jammu and Kashmir divisions while PDP and NPP are the only political parties, which have fielded candidates on all four seats. BJP has fielded three candidates and BSP two.
A total of 44 candidates had filed nomination papers for four seats including 28 in Jammu division and 16 in Kashmir. Nomination papers of three candidates were rejected while four others had withdrawn in Jammu division leaving 37 candidates in fray including 21 in Jammu division.
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