Jammu-Kashmir: 3rd phase of urban local bodies election begins. LIVE updates here

Update: 11:30 am: Voting figures till 10 am:

• Srinagar: 1826
• Anantnag: 109
• Uri: 1762

Update: 10:43 am: Voting figures till 10 am:

• Srinagar: 1501
• Anantnag: 110
• Uri: 1350

Update: 9:40 am: Voting figures till 9 am:

• Srinagar: 1165
• Anantnag: 100
• Uri: 908

Update: 8:33 am: Voting figures till 8 am:

• Srinagar: 705
• Anantnag: 67
• Baramulla: 382

Update: 7:10 am: Voting figures till 7 am:

• Srinagar: 201
• Anantnag: 20
• Baramulla: 106

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Voting for the third phase of urban local body polls in Jammu and Kashmir is underway. As many as 365 candidates in the fray for 96 wards are going to contest in 3rd phase in Jammu and Kashmir election. The voting process began at 6:00 am and is scheduled to conclude at 4:00 pm. Election authorities have finalized the arrangements for Saturday's third phase of polling for civic polls in Kashmir but there is little hope of any change in the trend of low voter turnout in the Valley as most of the wards fall in the separatist hotbed of the downtown city and south Kashmir.
The wards inthe downtown city going under 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
• Taraba

Meanwhile, ten other wards in the civil lines area of the city, where polling will be held on Saturday, are:

• Lal Chowk
• Rajbagh
• Ikhrajpora
• Mehjoor Nagar
• Natipora
• Chanapora
• Budshah Nagar
• Baghat Barzulla
• Hyderpora
• Rawalpora.

Earlier on Wednesday, 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. As per the Election Commission of India, a total of 1,198 candidates 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.

READ | 2nd Phase Of Urban Local Bodies Election Begins. LIVE Updates Here-

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.