Pulwama: Nine candidates filed their nomination papers on Monday for the upcoming Block Development Council (BDC) polls from Pulwama district of south Kashmir.
It is the first time in decades that election for BDCs- the second tier of Panchayati Raj Institutions- are being held in Kashmir valley. However, the polls are taking place at a time when major political
leaders and functionaries of major regional parties are under detention.
Sources in the district administration said that out of 11 blocks in the district, nomination papers would be filed only in nine blocks for the polls to be held on October 24. “Two blocks will not have
polls, as there was not a single panchayat member from these two blocks, who could have filed their nomination papers”.
On the first day, nine panchayat members approached the district administration with their nominations on Monday. “Out of nine candidates, seven candidates are from the Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP), while as, two candidates are fighting as Independent candidates,” sources said.
On Tuesday, nomination papers from candidates would be accepted from Awantipora and Tral blocks.
There are 107 male voters and 25 female voters in the said blocks.
“A total number of 132 electors would decide the fate of contesting candidates in nine-blocks of the district,” sources said.
“Most of the candidates will win unopposed as no other person has filed nominations against them,” sources said, adding, in Pampore and Litter- Lassipora blocks two independents have also filed
their nominations.
The BJP is emerging as the front or sole runner in the polls.
The leaders and party functionaries of major political parties in Kashmir- including National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples Conference (PC), Awami Itehad Party (AIP),
Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Movement (JKPM) have been detained after Government of India announced the abrogation of Article 370.
Although, NC and PDP had not fielded its candidates in the first tier of Panchayati Raj polls held in last December, however, NC’s provisional President Davinder Singh Rana told media persons that
the party leadership would decide whether to participate in the BDC polls only after its leaders are released from detention.

Mir Iqbal