The civic body poll was a high-stake battle for the ruling BJP that was looking to match its own impressive showing in the Uttarakhand elections last year when it had won 57 out of 70 assembly seats.

The low turnout in Urban and Local Body (ULB) elections in Jammu and Kashmir signals a change in the mood of the rural electorate in the Valley.

The polls to urban local bodies in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in four phases with the first completed Monday.

"I do agree that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir should improve. But, the problem that we face is mostly because of Pakistan," said the Home Minister.

In Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district, BJP fielded candidates in 13 out of 17 wards and won unopposed.

The counting of votes will be taken up on October 20. 322 wards have been reserved for women belonging to open category.

Four parties -- National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Bahujan Samaj Party -- have announced that they will be boycotting the polls.

Mattu alleged that leaving the grassroots democratic institutions "open to misrepresentation" would inflict serious harm on the state, and wreak havoc with the social fabric and cultural legacy.

A decision announcing deferment of the municipal polls is likely to be taken at the State Administrative Council meeting.

Police suspect the incident to be a handiwork of Khan's rival, whose name they did not disclose.