New wards’ voters upbeat, pin high hopes on candidates

Amit Khajuria

Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 24

Voters of the newly introduced wards of the Jammu Municipal Corporations (JMC) have bigger expectations from the urban local bodies elections as they are going to be part of the polls for the first time.

The polling in all 75 wards of the JMC will be held in the first phase on October 8. The state administration has brought four new wards within the JMC limits.

The villages — Tikkri Khanni, Gangwan, Shehzadpur Bupa Kaniya, Chak Patyali and Rakh Nagbani — have been incorporated into Ward No. 72.

Bhour, Gadi Garh and Chak Sardar Atar Singh villages have been incorporated into Ward No. 73, Sunjwan and Chowadi villages have been included in Ward No. 74 and Hazuri Bagh, Akalpur, Sangrampur, Patnayal and Durgo Chakk villages have been incorporated into Ward No. 75.

Earlier, there were 71 wards within the JMC limits.

While the campaigning has started for the urban local bodies elections, the BJP and Congress have announced their candidates for the 75 JMC wards.

The voters of the four newly introduced wards have more expectations from their candidates.

“It is matter of pride for a village to be a part of the municipal limits. Our village has poor road connectivity, no proper drainage and we face electricity cuts. But we hope that after the polls, things will change as our new representative will surely get some funds for our wards and we will get a feel of living in a city,” said Rajan Sharma of Sangrampur village which now falls in Ward No. 75.

Residents of the new wards are more enthusiastic about the elections and have started holding meetings at the mohalla level for the upcoming elections.

“We are conducting meetings in our mohallas to discuss the genuineness of the candidates who are contesting from our wards. We will vote for the candidate not on the basis of their political affiliations but their ability to address our issues,” said Ravinder Singh of Gadi Garh village in Ward No. 73.

“This is for the first time that we are going to be the part of the urban local bodies elections. We will choose a candidate who has the ability to convert our village into a modern town,” he said.

Local bodies polls on October 8

• The state administration has brought four new wards within the Jammu Municipal Corporations limits. Earlier, there were 71 wards within the corporation limits
• The polling in all 75 wards of the Jammu Municipal Corporation will be held in the first phase on October 8