Voting for the third phase of the Jammu and Kashmir urban local body elections ended on Saturday. Elections were held in 96 wards spread across four districts of the state, Greater Kashmir reported. The Samba, Vijaypur, Ramgarh and Bari-Brahmana municipal committees in Jammu held elections.

A total of 372 candidates contested in the third phase of urban local body polls.

In Srinagar, only 1.84% of 1.53 lakh eligible voters exercised their franchise, election officials told PTI. Anantnag witnessed just 3.2% polling. However, Baramulla district, where the turnout was very low in the first two phases, recorded 75.34% voting. Polling in Samba district of Jammu was brisk, with over 80% of voters casting their ballot.

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The Joint Resistance Leadership, an alliance of separatist organisations, had called for an election boycott. Voter turnout during the first phase was 56.7%, and the second phase just 30%. It was particularly abysmal in the Kashmir Valley, which recorded just 8.2% voting in the first phase and 3.4% in the second.

Meanwhile, former National Conference leader Junaid Azim Mattu, who resigned from the party in September in protest against its decision to boycott the polls, cast his vote on Saturday in Srinagar, ANI reported. Mattu, who is contesting the polls as an independent candidate, said: “It is high time that some people get off the moral high horse. Anybody who disagrees with the two regional parties is labelled a Bharatiya Janata Party puppet. The fact is both National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party have been in alliance with BJP before. So it is hilarious.”

A list of places that held polls in the Kashmir Valley: Voters from Lal Chowk, Rajbagh, Ikhrajpora, Mehjoor Nagar, Natipora, Chanapora, Budshah Nagar, Bagaat Barzulla, Rawalpora, Hyderpora, Khanka-e-Moualla, Mahraj Gung, Jamia Masjid, Makhdoom Sahib, Khawaja Bazar, Aquilmir Khanyar, Rouzabal, Doulatabad, Islamyarbal, Nawab Bazar, Nawa Kadal, Safa Kadal, Rathpora, Eidgah, Palpora, Tarabal, Hajin, Sopore, Uri, Tral, Awanitpora, Mattan, Pahalgam, Aishmuqam areas cast their ballot on Saturday.