Jammu-Kashmir : 2nd phase of urban local bodies election begins. LIVE updates here-

Update at 1.25 pm: Ramban till 1 PM: 66.48 % 

Udhampur till 1 PM: 57%

Update at 1.12 pm: Kishtwar till 1 pm:

Male:      2778
Female: 2837
Total:    5615
Percentage. 61.53%

MC Sumbal ​​​​​​:01 PM

Male : 1070
Female : 951
Total : 2021
Percentage : 25.42%

Update at 12.20 pm:

1) Udhampur MC cumulative votes till 12P.M  Percentage 47.32%

2) Ramnagar MC cumulative votes till12 PM  Percentage - 77.26%

3) Chenani MC cumulative votes till 12 PM

Percentage - 61.49%

Update at 12.19 pm: Kathua till 12 PM

Male: 17171
Female: 15257
Total: 32428

Update at 12.15 pm: Voter turnout till 12 noon
1. MC DODA. 
VOTES POLLED 3626
Percentage 61.4%
2. MC THATRI. 
VOTES POLLED 572. PERCENTAGE 76.67%
3. MC BHADERWAH.
 VOTES POLLED 3541
Percentage 51.67%
 4. DISTRICT PERCENTAGE 57.35%

Update at 11.04 am: MC Sumbal 11 AM
Male : 803
Female : 661
Total : 1464
Percentage : 18.41%

(District Bandipore)

Update at 10.28 am: 10 AM Udhampur Update: 30.30% turnout.

Update at 10.22 am: Second phase of Urban and local body election is going smoothly in Valley: Jammu-Kashmir police

Update at 10.20 am: Kathua Update: 39.1% till 10 AM.

Update at 10.20 am: Entire Doda district percentage up to 10 am- 36.22

Update at 10.19 am: Voter turnout upto 10 am for Doda
1. MC Doda(total voters 5897). Votes polled - 2350
Percentage 39.8%
2. MC Bhaderwah(Total voters 6852)
Votes polled- 2174
Percentage- 31.7%
3. MC Thatri(total voters 746)
Votes polled- 364
Percentage 48.7%

Update at 10.15 am: Chenani MC votes upto 10 AM:

Male - 293, Female - 181, Total - 474
Percentage- 33.74%

Ramnagar MC  votes upto 10 AM  

Male - 785, Female - 632 , total - 1417
Percentage - 37.5%

Update at 10.05 am: MC Sumbal 10 AM

Male : 623
Female : 503
Total : 1126
Percentage : 14.16%

(District Bandipore)

Update at 10.02 am: Kishtwar till 10 AM: 33.13% 

Male: 3014
Female: 1559

Update at 9.54 am Bandipora MC Sumbal till 9 AM: 

Male : 435
Female : 313
Total : 748
Percentage : 9.41%

Update at 9.54 am: Ramban Update: 22.4% voting till 9 AM. 1191 votes polled.

Update at 9.22 am: Update from Reasi at 8 am

MC Reasi

851 votes polled.
533 males
Female 318
18.84%

MC Katra 
839 votes polled.
333 Female
506 Male
14.79%

Update at 8.50 am: Voter turnout recorded till 8 am in the second phase of local body elections in the state:

Update at 8.43 am: Udhampur: 10% voting till 8 AM. 

Update at 8.38 am: Doda Update: 12.51 % voting till 8 AM.

Update at 8.37 am: Kathua Update: 17.23% voting till 8 AM.

Update at 8.37 am: Kishtwar Update: 12.92% voting till 8 AM.

Update at 8.37 am: Ramban Update: 14 % voting till 8 AM.

Update at 8.11 am: Ramban update: BJP candidate from ward number 2, Azad Singh passed away due to cardiac arrest on way to polling station

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Polling began on a brisk note in 13 districts of Jammu and Kashmir as a part of the second phase of the urban local bodies elections on Wednesday. As per the Election Commission of India, a total of 1,198 candidates have fielded their nomination but following withdrawal and scrutiny, only 1,095 candidates are in the fray for the elections in the second phase.
Notably, out of 1,095, as many as 65 candidates have won the elections uncontested, including 61 from the Kashmir Valley.

The second phase will cover a total of 384 wards. Security has been beefed up across the state so that the polls can be conducted in a peaceful manner. Majority of the candidates have been provided with either cluster security in hotels or individually in the Valley.

READ | Jammu And Kashmir Polls: Stage Set For First Phase Of Local Body Elections To Seal The Fate Of 1,283 Candidates In J&K. LIVE UPDATES

Interestingly, this is the first municipal elections where Kashmiri migrants are able to exercise their franchise after the ECI allowed them to cast their votes through postal ballots.
The overall turnout for the first phase of local body elections which concluded peacefully on Monday was 56.7 percent. However, the voting percentage was abysmally low in the Kashmir Valley with 8.3 per cent of the vote, whereas around 65 per cent of the electorate voted in the Jammu and Ladakh divisions of the state.

These elections were announced last month, but two major political parties which had dominated the region-- The National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) boycotted the polls accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government of taking a firm stand on the protection of Article 35(A) of the Constitution which has been challenged in the Supreme Court.

The third phase covering 207 Wards is scheduled to take place on October 13, and the fourth phase covering 132 Wards on October 16. The counting of votes will take place on October 20. The last poll to the Municipal bodies in the state was held in 2005 through ballots and the five-year term expired in February 2010.

(With ANI Inputs)