J&K: Municipal polls to be held in four phases from October 8; counting on October 20

The municipal elections in the state of Jammu and Kashmir will be held in four phases in October this year.

According to details by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Electoral Officer Shaleen Kabra, the urban local body polls in the state will be held on October 8, October 10, October 13 and October 16.

The counting of votes shall take place on October 20 after all the phases are over. The Chief Electoral Officer informed that the voting in the state will be held from 7 AM to 2 PM.

During a press conference in Srinagar, Kabra informed that the notification for phase 1 will be issued on September 18 while the notifications for phase 2, 3 and 4 will be issued on September 20, 22 and 24 respectively. He further informed that nearly 17 lakh voters are registered for the polls.

"With the announcement of the schedule for the elections, the Model Code of Conduct has come into place," said Kabra.

Meanwhile, for the first time, EVMs are being used in municipal polls, following amendment of rules in 2016. Additionally, voting by migrants is being allowed for the first time, by means of postal ballots.