Srinagar, October 03, 2018 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, the level of resistance being faced by the Indian authorities in conducting sham local bodies and Panchayat elections can be gauged from the fact that over 200 candidates have won unopposed the elections scheduled to commence from October 08.
At least all 215 candidates in the Valley who filed their nomination papers for the polls have won the elections unopposed while as in over 150 wards, no candidate has filed nomination papers. Notably, the last date for filing the nomination papers was October 02 (Tuesday).
“Most of the wards in South Kashmir districts including Islamabad, Shopian, Pulwama and Kulgam didn’t see any candidate while some of the candidates in the districts who have filed their nomination papers won the elections unopposed,” reported a Srinagar-based wire agency.
Interestingly, no voting will be held in Shopian as 13 Pandit candidates won opposed in 13 wards without any election. All of them belong to the BJP, English daily Kashmir Reader reported. Shopian town’s 17 municipal wards will see no election as only 13 candidates filed nominations and no two of them are contesting in the same ward. That leaves four wards uncontested and 13 wards contested by only one candidate. Same is the case in Pulwama district.
What is more interesting is four candidates from Pahalgam area of Islamabad district who had filed their nomination papers for 3rd phase of local bodies elections are being prevented from withdrawing their nominations from Pahalgam Municipal committee. Another English daily Rising Kashmir reported that the four candidates affiliated with BJP including two females intend to withdraw their nomination papers, but have been held hostage at the guarded residence of a BJP leader at Khanabal in Islamabad district.
For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Phone: +92-51-4435548, +92-51-4435549
Fax: +92-51-4861736
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Website: www.kmsnews.org