The first phase of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir has concluded, and political parties are now focusing on the second phase, which will take place on September 25. In the first phase, elections will be held for 24 members split over seven districts.
Seven districts of Jammu and Kashmir, located on both sides of the Pir Panjal mountain range, will hold assembly elections for the first time in ten years. This will be the first assembly election in Jammu & Kashmir following the repeal of Article 370 in August 2019. The voting will begin at 7 a.m. and end at 6 p.m.
Number Of Candidates, Voters
Phase 1 of the upcoming elections:
Kashmir valley: 16 seats across four districts
Total candidates: 219, including 90 independents, are contesting across 24 assembly segments.
Voters: A total of 23,27,580 electors are eligible to vote, including:
- Male voters: 11,76,462
- Female voters: 11,51,058
- Third-gender voters: 60
Age distribution:
- Young voters (18-19 years): 1.23 lakh
- Persons with Disabilities (PwDs): 28,309
- Elderly voters (85+ years): 15,774
Region distribution:
Jammu region: 8 seats across three districts
As per the Election Commission of India, a total of 14,000 polling staff will conduct the voting at 3,276 polling stations. Of these 3,276 polling booths, 302 are urban polling stations and 2,974 rural polling stations. Four election staff, including the Presiding Officer, will be stationed in each polling station, said the EC.
Multi-Tier Security
The Jammu and Kashmir police have implemented extensive security measures for the assembly elections, including a multi-tier deployment of forces from the Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPF), the Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police, and the J&K Police.
Key Candidates, Constituencies
| Candidate | Party | Constituency | Key Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iltija Mufti | PDP | Bijbehara | Faces a triangular contest against NC’s Bashir Ahmad Veeri and BJP’s Sofi Mohammad Yousuf. |
| Bashir Ahmad Veeri | NC | Bijbehara | Competing in a three-way battle against Iltija Mufti (PDP) and Sofi Mohammad Yousuf (BJP). |
| Sofi Mohammad Yousuf | BJP | Bijbehara | Participating in the triangular contest against Iltija Mufti and Bashir Ahmad Veeri. |
| Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami | CPI(M) | Kulgam | Seeking a fifth consecutive term from this constituency. |
| Ghulam Ahmad Mir | AICC | Dooru | Aims for a third term. |
| Sakina Itoo | NC | Damhal Hajipora | Vying for re-election from this segment. |
| Sartaj Madni | PDP | Devsar | A prominent candidate in this race. |
| Abdul Rehman Veeri | PDP | Shangus-Anantnag | Another key candidate to watch in the elections. |
| Waheed Para | PDP | Pulwama | Contesting in a significant constituency. |
The focus is primarily on the Bijbehara and Pulwama assembly segments, where Iltija Mufti and Waheed Para are high-profile candidates.
Waheed Para, an accused in a terror case, faces a tough contest from his former party colleague Mohammad Khalil Bandh, who is now running on a National Conference (NC) ticket. The race has become more intense with the entry of Talat Majid Alie, a former member of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami. Similarly, CPI(M)’s Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami is up against a rival candidate, Sayar Ahmad Reshi, adding further complexity to the competition. Other prominent candidates and their seats are:
- Former ministers Sajjad Kitchloo (NC) -Kishtwar Seat
- Khalid Najid Suharwardy (NC) – Doda
- Vikar Rasool Wani (Congress) – Banihal
- Abdul Majid Wani (DPAP) – Doda
- Sunil Sharma (BJP) – Padder-Nagseni
- Shakti Raj Parihar – Doda west
- Former MLA Ghulam Mohammad Saroori- Independent
- Former MLA Daleep Singh Parihar (BJP) -Bhadarwah
- Former MLC Firdous Tak (PDP) – Kishtwar
- Imtiyaz Shan (PDP)- Banihal
- Pooja Thakur (NC) – Padder-Nagseni
- Shagun Parihar (BJP)
- Rebel NC leader Pyare Lal Sharma – Independent from Inderwal
- BJP rebel Rakesh Goswami as Independent from Ramban
- BJP rebel Suraj Singh Parihar as Independent from Padder-Nagseni
Seats Going To Polls
The constituencies going to the polls on Wednesday include Pampore, Tral, Pulwama, Rajpora, Zainapora, Shopian, DH Pora, Kulgam, Devsar, Dooru, Kokernag (ST), Anantnag West, Anantnag, Srigufwara-Bijbehara, Shangus-Anantnag East, Pahalgam, Inderwal, Kishtwar, Padder-Nagseni, Bhadarwah, Doda, Doda West, Ramban and Banihal.
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