Voting Begins for Second Phase of J&K Assembly Polls, Omar Abdullah in Fray, foreign diplomats visiting

Voting Begins for Second Phase of J&K Assembly Polls, Omar Abdullah in Fray, foreign diplomats visiting

Voting underway for the second phase of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, featuring 239 candidates including former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, across 3,502 polling stations in six districts.

durgesh dubey
25 Sep, 2024

Omar Abdullah

Voting has commenced for the second phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, with former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah contesting among 239 candidates across 26 constituencies in six districts. This phase sees the People's Democratic Party (PDP) fielding the highest number of candidates at 26, followed by the National Conference with 20, BJP with 17, and Congress with six. Additionally, there are 170 independent and other candidates.

The constituencies participating in today’s polling include Kangan, Ganderbal, Hazratbal, Khanyar, Habbakadal, Lal Chowk, Channapora, Zadibal, Eidgah, Central Shalteng, Budgam, Beerwah, Khansahib, Chrar-i-Sharif, Chadoora, Gulabgarh, Reasi, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, Kalakote-Sundarbani, Nowshera, Rajouri, Budhal, Thannamandi, Surankote, Poonch Haveli, and Mendhar.

Today's voting follows the first phase, which took place on September 18 and recorded a significant voter turnout of 60.21%, the highest in the last seven elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has encouraged all voters to participate in the democratic process, especially highlighting those voting for the first time.

In addition to Omar Abdullah, other notable candidates include BJP state president Ravinder Raina contesting in Nowshera and Congress chief Tariq Hamid Karra in Central Shalteng. A total of 3,502 polling stations have been set up, staffed by 13,000 personnel to ensure a smooth voting process.

In this phase, 93 candidates are contesting in Srinagar district, followed by 46 in Budgam, 34 in Rajouri, 25 in Poonch, 21 in Ganderbal, and 20 in Reasi. Key candidates also include Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari (Channapora) and former ministers such as Ali Mohammad Sagar (Khanyar) and Abdul Rahim Rather (Chrar-i-Sharif). Notably, jailed cleric Sarjan Ahmad Wagay, known as Barkati, is running from Beerwah and Ganderbal.

For this election phase, over 15,500 displaced Kashmiri Pandit voters can cast their votes at 24 special polling stations located in Jammu, Udhampur, and Delhi. In Jammu, 14,700 registered voters will vote at 19 stations, while 600 will vote in Delhi at four polling stations, and 350 will participate in Udhampur.

The Election Commission has established a total of 3,502 polling stations for the second phase, comprising 1,056 urban and 2,446 rural stations, all equipped with webcasting facilities to enhance transparency. Voting will take place from 7 am to 6 pm today, as over 2.5 million voters make their voices heard for the 239 candidates in the running.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has urged citizens to vote to bolster democracy and combat terrorism and corruption in Jammu and Kashmir. He called on voters to participate in record numbers to help form a government dedicated to the youth's future and the development of the region.

Additionally, at least 20 diplomats from 16 foreign missions will observe the voting process in Srinagar and Budgam, a visit coordinated by the Ministry of External Affairs, including representatives from the US, Russia, and the European Union.