Amid the Pulwama encounter, the state of Jammu Kashmir has begun its 3rd phase of polling.
The polling began at 06:00 AM and is slated to end at 04:00 PM under tight security.
Although 207 wards in J&K were scheduled to go to polls today, polling will be held only in 100 wards: 56 in Samba district in Jammu division and 44 in the Valley.
Of the 44 wards going to polls on Saturday, 20 falls in Srinagar city’s downtown area, where the voter turnout has been generally low since the eruption of militancy in the state in 1989. The wards in the downtown city going to polls are Khanqah-e-Mualla, Maharajgunj, Jamia Masjid, Makhdoom Sahib, Khwaja Bazaar, Aqilmir Khanyar, Rozabal, Daulatabad, Islamyarbal, Nawab Bazaar, Nawa Kadal, Safakadal, Rathpora, Edigah, Palpora and Tarabal.
Polling will also be held in the following civil lines area of the city today: Lal Chowk, Rajbagh, Ikhrajpora, Mehjoor Nagar, Natipora, Chanapora, Budshah Nagar, Baghat Barzulla, Hyderpora and Rawalpora.
As many as 372 candidates are in the fray – 242 for four municipal bodies in Samba district and 130 for Valley’s four municipal bodies.
The overall voter turnout in the first phase of local body elections was 56.7%, while in the second phase, overall turnout was 30%.
Meanwhile, the security forces were engaged in a gun battle in Pulwama district where the militants opened fire.
1 terrorist has been shot down, and arms and ammunition have been recovered from his possession.
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