For the first time since its abrogation on August 5, 2019, the assembly polls to the much-awaited Jammu and Kashmir elections have begun. Seven districts will vote today, as the much-awaited assembly polls begin.
More than 23.27 lakh voters – 11.76 lakh men and 11.51 lakh women -will vote in the first phase where 24 Assembly constituencies will go to the polls across the Chenab Valley districts of Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban, and the South Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam, and Shopian.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday, September 18 appealed to people in Jammu and Kashmir to vote in large numbers, saying that it is the festival of democracy and needs to be made strong.
Jammu and Kashmir’s upcoming assembly polls feature key candidates including Tarigami, Mir, Itoo, Mufti, and Para vying for a prestigious term.
Security agencies have sounded a general alert across the entire Union Territory, including the cities of Jammu and Srinagar. They have set up additional check points along roads to screen pedestrians and vehicles. Cameras and drones are being used to monitor volatile pockets.
Multi-tier security arrangements have been put in place for the Assembly election, to be held for the first time in the Union Territory since the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 in August 2019.
The first assembly polls in a decade for Jammu and Kashmir are upcoming. 23 lakh voters will decide the fate of 219 candidates, including 90 independents, in 24 assembly segments.
This first phase will see the voting take place in 24 assembly constituencies across the Chenab Valley districts of Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban and the South Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam, and Shopian.
Here are 10 points on Jammu and Kashmir assembly election:
This is the first assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir after August 2019, when Article 370 was revoked. The ECI has positioned 14,000 polling staff in 3,276 polling stations to oversee the process today.
In phase 1, up to 1.23 lakh youth, who are 18 to 19 years old, along with 28,309 PwDs and 15,774 voters above the age of 85, can vote.
Major candidates contesting from the Kashmir region in the first phase include PDP’s Iltija Mufti, CPI(M) Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, and Congress’ Ghulam Ahmad Mir”.
Though it is an ally, both NC and Congress have agreed to contest separately from Banihal, Bhaderwah and Doda. Rebel NC leader Pyare Lal Sharma will be contesting independently from Inderwal. Another BJP rebel, Rakesh Goswami and Suraj Singh Parihar is in the fray from Ramban and Padder-Nagseni respectively.
The 302 urban and 2,974 rural polling stations will be each manned by four election officials, including the presiding officer.
More than 35,000 Kashmiri Pandits will vote in Jammu and Kashmir polls after paperwork eased for those who moved in the nineties.
Since June 2018, no government is elected in Jammu and Kashmir after BJP ended alliance with PDP, causing Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s resignation. J&K has 74 general, 9 Scheduled Tribes, and 7 Scheduled Castes constituencies out of 90.
In Pulwama, Waheed Para, an accused in a terror case, has a tough time with his former party colleague Mohammad Khalil Bandh, who is now on the NC ticket.
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