The trend of no elections in southern Kulgam district continued during the ninth and final phase of panchayat elections Tuesday as there were no candidates, and hence, no contest.
In contrast, however, the Pahalgam block in neighboring Anantnag district finally broke the trend of complete poll boycott in southern areas, with 24 percent voters here turning up at polling booths to cast their vote—the only time the voter turnout figures crossed the single-digit mark here.
In the last phase of panchayat elections, 23 sarpanch halqas and 163 panch wards of Kulgam block were scheduled to go for polls. However, only five candidates turned up to file nominations for sarpanch and 11 for panch and they all were elected unopposed.
“The rest of 18 sarpanch and 152 panch constituencies will remain vacant,” an election official said.
Kulgam has emerged as the epicenter of militancy and civilian protests ever since the killing of popular Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzafar Wani in July 2016.
In the earlier phases, no elections could take place in restive Qaimoh, Frisal- Yaripora, Pahloo and Bihibagh areas, as well as in DH Pora, DK Pora, Manzgam blocks, in absence of candidates and contest. The poll was only held in few panchayat halqas and panch wards of Devsar and Kund blocks of the district.
The bocks falling in Noorbad-DH Pora and Devsar assembly segments had in the past remained hubs of mainstream politics. Even during the recently-concluded urban local body elections, no election could be held in any of the towns in the district. The committees were formed in Kulgam, Yaripora and Devsar towns only after few candidates, mostly Kashmiri migrant Pandits, turned up to file nominations and got elected unopposed.
However, no municipal body could be formed in restive Frisal town as no one filed nomination in any of its 13 wards.
ANANTNAG
Unlike the previous eight phases when all blocks of Anantnag district witnessed a boycott or no contest, the scene Tuesday was different. The Pahalgam block here, which has remained a hub of mainstream politics, lived up to the tradition.
According to officials, 32 candidates had filed nominations for 19 designated panchayat halqas here, while 111 candidates were in the fray for 137 panch wards—the highest in southern Kashmir.
“The contest was witnessed in 11 panchayat halqas. Four sarpanchs were elected unopposed while rest of the four halqas remained vacant in absence of candidates,” the official said.
He said in 28 panch wards where the contest was witnessed, a total of 60 candidates were in the fray.
“51 panchs have already been elected unopposed while 58 panch wards remained vacant in absence of candidates,” the official said.
People in good numbers turned up to polling booths in Aru, Mandlan, Frislan, Gujrani Batkoot, Veersaran, Dehwatoo, Awoora, Kullar, Langanbal, Gansahibal, Amad-Zoo, Lidroo and Yannar villages with substantial Gujjar population.
At the end of the polling time, the voter turnout stood at 24 percent— the highest across all blocks of southern Kashmir that went to polls in the nine-phased panchayat elections.
In the earlier phases, the Dachnipora block of the same assembly constituency didn’t witness any polling, while only six percent votes were polled in Khovripora block.
Barring Larnoo block of Kokernag (where 15 percent turnout was seen), the polling percentage in the first eight phases hovered around in single digits.
In the second phase, no election could be held in any of the panchayat halqas or panch wards of Bijbehara block as not a single candidate had filed a nomination.
In Anantnag block whose few panchayat halqas and panch wards went for polls, the polling percentage was dismal 1.
In the subsequent phases of polling held in Breng, Sagam, Hiller (Kokernag area), the turnout was less than two percent, though it was seven percent in Shahbad and Verinag (Dooru area), six percent in Khovripora and six percent in Qazigund, Achabal, Shangus and Chatergul.