BJP leading in Jammu Municipal Corporation elections, independents fare well in Kishtwar

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading in the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) polls, as the counting of votes for the Urban Local Bodies elections was going on in all the 10 districts of Jammu region on Saturday.

The counting of votes in the state's winter capital began at Government Polytechnic Institute in Bikram Chowk at 9 am. The results for JMC so far indicate an edge to the BJP over its rivals.

There are 521 wards in the 10 districts of Jammu, which went to polls in the first three phases of the four-phased ULB elections in the state, which concluded on October 16, recording a high voter turnout of 68.4 per cent in the electorate of nearly 6.44 lakh people.

Thirteen candidates were elected to different municipal wards unopposed, leaving a total of 2,137 candidates in the fray.

Of the 32 results declared for the 75-member JMC so far, the largest municipality in the state, the BJP has won 19 followed by independents (nine) and the Congress (four), officials said.

BJP had won 25 seats in the last municipal elections for the JMC in 2005, while the then ruling Congress had emerged victorious with 26 seats.

In 13 wards of Kishtwar Municipal Committee, officials said independents won 10 seats, while the Congress and the BJP won two and one seat, respectively.

Of the three municipal committees in Ramban, officials said results were declared for seven-member Batote Municipal Committee with BJP winning four, Congress one and independents two seats.

In Kathua district's Basohli, BJP won five seats while Congress and independents were successful in four wards each.

The results of six other municipal committees in the district are awaited, the officials said.

In Rajouri district's Sunderbani Municipal Committee, the BJP won with 10 of its candidates winning, while three seats went to independent candidates.

In Kalakote Municipal Committee, six independents and one Congress candidate registered wins, officials said.

Six BJP candidates won from Reasi Municipal Committee, which saw five independents and two Congress candidates registering their wins in the 13-member body, they said.