Twenty one candidates are in the fray for the first phase of DDC polls in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, officials said.
District Election Nodal Officer said that the elections for the first phase would be held on November 28 in Gurez, Sumbal and Tulail blocks of the district.
In Gurez block, three candidates have filed the nomination papers to contest the polls. One of the candidates is from Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), one of National Conference on the seat-sharing agreement of Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) while the third is an independent candidate.
In Tulail block, seven candidates in the fray include one each from BJP, Apni Party and Congress on the seat-sharing arrangement of PAGD. The BJP candidate is Raja Aijaz, the BDC chairman and the son of former PDP MLA Fakeer Muhammad Khan, while the rest are independents.
In Sumbal block, 11 candidates, the highest form any block for the first phase are in the fray. Here PAGD has fielded an NC candidate while all others are independents. Sumbal is considered the bastion of NC.
On Thursday, some of the election staff for Gurez stuck in Bandipora due to road closure at Razdan Top was airlifted by the district administration in helicopters and taken to Bandipora. The paramilitary party stuck at Tarbal was also sent back due to road closure.
Deputy Commissioner Bandipora, Owais Ahmad said the polling material and the rest of the polling staff had already been sent to Gurez to avoid this season’s snowfall.
Officials said that the Mechanical department had put in use all the machinery and cleared the snow from almost all the internal roads except on Razdan.
They said that the district administration had made all the arrangements for the smooth conduct of polls.