Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 27: A whopping number of 926 candidates have joined the fray for Urban Local Bodies elections in six districts of Jammu region, where nomination process concluded today and election will take place on October 10.
Of six districts, highest number of 380 candidates have filed their nomination papers in Kathua district.
Deputy Commissioner Udhampur, Ravinder Kumar told the Excelsior that 198 candidates have joined the electoral exercise for Urban Local Bodies for three Bodies in Udhampur district till today, the last date for filing the nomination papers.
Of them, he said, 129 candidates have filed papers for Udhampur Municipal Council, 49 for Ramnagar Municipal Committee and 20 for Chenani Municipal Committee. The election process was going on smoothly, he added.
Of 198 candidates, 60 were females, Kumar said, adding 78 candidates were from national parties, 30 from regional and 90 were Independents.
Deputy Commissioner Reasi, Prasanna Ramaswamy said 98 candidates were in the fray in Reasi district including 67 male and 31 females. Scrutiny of the nominations will take place tomorrow, he added.
SSP Ramban Anita Sharma said a total of 74 candidates have filed nomination papers for two Municipal Committees of Ramban and Batote. While 36 candidates including 11 females were in the fray for Batote Municipal Committee, 25 including five females were in the race for Ramban Municipal Committee and 13 candidates have filed papers for Banihal Municipal Committee including four females, she added.
Sharma said 21 candidates belonged to Congress, 18 to BJP, two to National Panthers Party and 33 Independents. She said adequate security arrangements have been made for the elections.
Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar, Angrez Singh Rana said 56 candidates have filed papers for Kishtwar district, which has only one Municipal Committee of 13 Wards.
Of 56 candidates, Rana said, 40 were male and 16 females. The nomination process concluded peacefully today, he added.
In Kathua, highest number of 380 candidates have joined the election race in second phase, Deputy Commissioner, Kathua, Rohit Khajuria said.
Khajuria said 147 candidates have filed nomination papers for Kathua Municipal Council, 43 for Billawar Municipal Committee, 49 for Basohli Municipal Committee, 18 for Lakhanpur Municipal Committee, 50 for Hiranagar Municipal Committee and 73 for Nagri Parole Municipal Committee.
Of 380 candidates, 266 were male and 114 females, Khajuria said.
Khajuria said there was only one candidate in fray for Ward No. 2 of Lakhanpur Municipal Committee identified as Surmu Din son of Qasim Din, an Independent. He will be declared as elected on the day of scrutiny of nominations.
In Doda district, 120 candidates have filed nomination papers, SSP Doda Shabir Ahmad Malik said, adding that process of nomination papers was peaceful. He said security arrangements were in place for smooth conduct of the elections.
Six districts of Jammu region including Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Udhampur, Reasi and Kathua will go to polls in second phase on October 10.
Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch districts were going to polls in Phase-I on October 8 for which nomination process had concluded on September 25 and highest number of 830 candidates had joined the fray in Jammu district.
Samba district will go to elections in Phase-III on October 13 for which the nomination process was on.
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