As the deadline for the first phase of the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) approaches, seven districts on both sides of the Pir Panjal will decide the fate of 219 candidates in 24 constituencies.
The polls in J&K are taking place after a ten-year gap.
Over 23 lakh electors will cast their ballots in phase-I on September 18, in which 219 candidates, including 90 independents, are in the fray for 24 assembly segments — eight in three districts of Jammu division and 16 in four districts of Kashmir valley.
This will be the first election in Jammu and Kashmir since the Centre bifurcated the erstwhile state into two UTs separating Ladakh from J&K in 2019 while abrogating the special status of the region.
As per ECI data, there are approximately 23, 27,580 electors eligible to vote in phase 1 (11,76,462 male, 11, 51,058 female and 60 third-gender voters).
Additionally, “there are 1.23 lakh first-time voters aged between 18 and 19 years, along with 23,309 specially-abled voters and 15,774 elderly voters aged above 85 who will also be participating in the elections,” informed an ECI official.
He stated that a total of 14,000 polling staff will oversee the entire phase 1 elections at 3276 polling stations for the smooth conduct of the polls.
Out of the total polling stations, “there are 302 urban polling booths and 2,974 rural polling stations. Four election staff, including the presiding officer, will be stationed in every polling designated polling station,” he added.
Meanwhile, IGP Kashmir Zone police V K Birdi told reporters that J&K police have taken stringent security measures for the Assembly polls so that the maximum number of people can cast their vote.”
The multi-tier security arrangements include forces from the Central armed paramilitary forces (CAPF), the Jammu and Kashmir armed police, and J-K police, Birdi added.
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