ISLAMABAD:Azad Jammu and Kashmir Election Commission (AJK EC) on Wednesday issued the final list of candidates contesting local government election, declaring nomination papers of 13,197 candidates valid while 438 papers were rejected on different grounds.
According to the commission, candidates have filed nomination papers for the seats of district councilor (one from each union council), town committees, municipal committees, and municipal corporation members and union council members in 10 districts of the region.
It is worth mentioning here that local government elections are being held in the state after 31 years of gap instantly after a Supreme Court ruling on the issue making it mandatory for the government to conduct LG polls before November 30.
The polls are being conducted by the election commission after passage of the new local bodies act last year and on a party basis. The candidates and political parties have started electioneering after filling out nomination papers which would culminate before November 25 at midnight.
AJK EC has issued a guideline and code of conduct for electioneering while monitoring committees with magisterial powers have been constituted in each district to ensure the implementation on code of conduct.