Bashaarat Masood

On Monday, Malik had said that Srinagar will have a “foreign-educated” mayor, seen as alluding towards former NC leader Junaid Azim Mattu, who quit the party to contest the municipal polls from the city.

J&K has two Municipal Corporations, Srinagar and Jammu, six municipal councils and 70 municipal committees. The councils and committees have also been without elected heads since 2010.

A spate of resignations by Special Police Officers, triggered by militants specifically targeting them for the first time, has left an uneasy calm in the Valley as civic polls begin tomorrow. The Indian Express on a force that is battling on multiple fronts — poor pay and esteem, and now, fear

While the BJP has bagged 13 out of 17 municipal seats in Shopian — no candidate filed nomination for the other four seats — it is already leading in seven municipal bodies.

Officials cite “security reasons” for the veil of secrecy over the conduct of the “faceless” poll process, especially in the troubled south of the Valley. They say disclosure of candidate details will make them vulnerable to threats, even endanger lives.

Amid boycott calls, state heads for municipal polls for the first time since 2005, panchayat polls since 2011.

J&K municipal polls: In four municipal bodies, no candidate has come forward in more than half the seats, while in at least 12 of the 24 municipal bodies, no voting would be needed.

The most volatile regions of the valley, especially Shopian and Pulwama district in south Kashmir, and Sopore and Hajin in north Kashmir are going to polls in third and fourth phases and the participation in these areas is expected to lower.

The four-phase election to urban local bodies will be held from October 8. Panchayat elections in the state will be held in nine phases, on a non-party basis, beginning November 17.

Sopore is among the most affluent towns and is known as the fruit bowl of the Valley, but it is also a separatist stronghold and was once a hotbed of militancy, which means security is always high.

For most of the day, the officials at the District Election Offices were waiting for the candidates to receive and submit their nomination forms. But no one turned up except at Bandipore, where nomination forms were issued to four candidates.

“He would seldom visit his home,” a neighbour said. “At least, I don’t remember him visiting his home in last two years.”

Police have identified the killed militants as Gulzar Paddar, Zahid, Faisal, Zahoor and Masroor. Gulzar, police said, was a close associate of the slain Hizb commander Altaf Kachroo.

Boycott calls, indifferent voters, militant threats. Local officials have their task cut out before panchayat polls.

Omar was addressing the media after an all-party meeting convened by his father and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah to deliberate on the “political and security” situation of Jammu and Kashmir.

As police blame militants, and separatists allege the role of security agencies, the sudden spurt of killings in the Valley has triggered fear and panic.

The PDP passed a unanimous resolution that said that imposing elections in the state would “erode the credibility” of the electoral process in the state

The National Conference has already announced its decision to boycott the municipal and panchayat polls

The court has sent Asif Sultan to 15-day judicial remand. He has been shifted to Srinagar central jail.