Budgam: There are 72 wards in this central Kashmir and only one is going to polls in the first phase of the urban local body elections tomorrow. The 72 wards are divided in six municipal committees including Budgam, Chadoora, Chrare-e-Shareef, Khansahib and Magam. 13 wards each are in Budgam, Chadoora, Chrare-e-Shareef and Beerwah and Magam while Khansahib has 7 wards.
Elections to Budgam, Chadoora and Khansahib municipalities are scheduled in the first phase tomorrow, in which the polling would only take place only in Budgam’s ward 5. Sources told INS said that among 13 wards of Budgam, four candidates withdrew their nomination papers and nine candidates won uncontested whereas only ward 5 would see the contest having candidates from two opposite parties.
In Chadoora, 10 candidates have filed nomination papers and among them eight candidates won unopposed while two withdrew their candidature. All candidates in seven wards in Khansahib have won uncontested. The total wards that remained vacant in Budgam and Chadoora municipalities are 3 and 5 respectively.
In the 2nd phase of the voting scheduled on October 10, eleven , seven and one candidates in Charar-e- Shareef, Magam and Beerwah municipalities have won uncontested respectively. Two candidates in Chrar-e-Shareef and seven in Magam withdraw nominations, they said. Wards 2, 6 and 12 respectively remain vacant in Chrar-e-Shareef, Magam and Beerwah, they added.
