Voting in Jammu and Kashmir.Image credit source: PTI
In the first phase of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, voting was completed on 24 assembly seats on Wednesday. A statement issued by the Election Commission said that polling was conducted peacefully in 24 assembly constituencies of 7 districts. Voters participated in the voting with great enthusiasm. This was the first assembly election in the union territory after the abrogation of Article 370 in August.
According to the Election Commission, 58.85 percent polling has been recorded in the first phase till 7:30 pm. Ahead of the first phase, in Jammu and Kashmir Rs. Seizures worth over 124 crores were recorded and strict action was taken against narcotics.
The assembly constituencies where voting was held from 7 am on Wednesday. They were Rajpora, Jainapora, Shopian, DH Pora, Kulgam, Tral, Pulwama, Deosar, Duru, Kokarnag (ST), Anantnag West, Anantnag, Srigufwara-Bijbehra, Shangas-Anantnag East, Pahalgam. All these are in south Kashmir, once a stronghold of militancy.
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Voting was held in Paddar-Nagaseni, Bhadarwah, Doda, Inderwal, Kishtwar, Doda West, Ramban and Banihal constituencies in Jammu region.
219 Candidates’ Future Captured in EVMs
219 candidates were in the fray in the first phase. According to the Election Commission, there were a total of 23,27,580 voters in the first phase. A total of 14,000 polling staff have been deployed in 3,276 polling stations in the first phase. The voting was completely peaceful.
In the 2014 assembly elections, the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP won 11 of these 24 seats, while the BJP and the Congress won four seats each. While Farooq Abdullah-led National Conference and CPI(M) got one seat each.
The result will be declared on October 8
Congress and NC are contesting in an alliance in the assembly elections, while PDP, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), People’s Conference and some other parties are contesting separately.
CPI-M’s Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami is among the candidates whose fate was sealed in the EVMs on Wednesday. He is contesting from Kulgam seat for the fifth consecutive time. PDP party chief Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter Iltija Mufti is a candidate from the Srigufwara-Bijbehra seat, a family stronghold.
PDP’s Waheed-ur-Rehman Para is the candidate from Pulwama assembly seat. The next two phases will be held on September 25 and October 1. The result will be declared on October 8.
