The BJP has won the elections to Jammu Municipal Corporation while independents have emerged as the largest block in elections to Srinagar Municipal Corporation as the NC and the PDP boycotted the local body polls in the state.
The BJP won 43 of the 75 seats in Jammu Municipal Corporation while the Congress managed to win only 14 seats. The independents have won 18 seats.
In Srinagar Municipal Corporation, the independents, who were backed by the NC, PDP and Peoples Conference (PC) of Sajjad Lone, have won 49 seats followed by the Congress (12) and the BJP (4).
It is widely believed that Junaid Mattu, who quit the NC before the polls to contest as an independent candidate, could be the front-runner for the post of mayor in Srinagar, with the backing of independents and the PC.
The BJP has fared well in other districts of Jammu region, including Samba, Kathua, Reasi, Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Udhampur, Poonch and Rajouri, by winning 212 wards. The Congress bagged 110, the National Panthers Party (NPP) led by Bhim Singh 13 and independents 185.
In Kashmir valley, the Congress has done better than the BJP by winning 157 seats, including securing 78 seats unopposed. The BJP has won 100 seats, including 76 unopposed. However, it is the independents, some of them backed by the NC and the PDP, who emerged top by winning 178 seats—the highest single block.
In Ladakh region, Congress won all 13 seats in Leh and six in Kargil. The BJP failed to get a single seat in Leh and Kargil where independents won in seven wards.
The independents, backed by the PC, won all the 13 seats in the Handwara municipal committee polls in Kupwara district.
In Kashmir, the BJP, for the first time, will control at least four of the 20 civic bodies in Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama, and Shopian while the Congress will hold sway in three municipal bodies.
The BJP's victory in Kashmir was mostly due to abysmally low turnout and the boycott by the two main parties—the NC and the PDP.
J&KPCC chief G.A. Mir told THE WEEK that the party was satisfied with the fact that they have prevented the BJP from emerging as the winner in the polls.
Mir said they are open an alliance with the secular forces who have emerged winners. ''Overall, we have done better than the BJP,'' Mir said.'' We are ready to ally with the secular forces to stop the communal forces.''
The polls were held in four phases from October 8 to October 16 in which 3,000 candidates took part for 1,145 wards across the state.
In Kashmir, 231 candidates won unopposed from 598 wards while no candidates contested in 181 wards.
In Kashmir, the voter turnout in the first phase was 8.3 per cent, 3.4 per cent in the second phase, 3.49 per cent in the third phase and 4.2 per cent in the last phase. The total percentage at the end of four phases across the state was was 35.1 per cent.
