Voting will be held on 24 seats in the Union Territory in the first phase of the election on September 18….reports Asian Lite News
The Election Commission on Tuesday issued the notification for the first phase of the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, marking the start of the nomination process.
Voting will be held on 24 seats in the Union Territory in the first phase of the election on September 18.
Also Read
The last date for filing nominations for the first phase of assembly polls is August 27 while the scrutiny will take place on August 28. The last date for the withdrawal of candidature is August 30.
The seats, which will go to polls in the first phase, are Pampore, Tral, Pulwama, Rajpora, Zainapora, Shopian, D H 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.
The Election Commission announced the election schedule for Jammu and Kashmir on August 16. The polling will be held in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1.
A total of 90 assembly constituencies will go to the polls in Jammu and Kashmir. The last assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir was held in 2014.
The Election Commission has also announced that assembly polls in Haryana will be held on October 1. Votes for both Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana will be counted on October 4.
Over 90,000 first-time voters
J&K Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Tuesday said that a total of 93,284 voters have been added in the Special Summary Revision across Jammu and Kashmir while the elector population ratio has improved from 0.59 to 0.60.
“The number of young voters in the 18 to 19 years age group has increased by 45,964, with 24,310 of them being women even as the overall number of women voters has also gone up by 51,142,” the CEO said.
He added that the total number of young electors in Jammu and Kashmir in the 18-29 age group stands at 25.34 Lakhs.
“The Special Summary of Photo Electoral Rolls with the qualifying date of July 1, 2024, was successfully completed in all twenty districts of Jammu and Kashmir. With a focus on ensuring accuracy, inclusivity, and purity of electoral rolls, the mammoth Special Summary Revision exercise has been completed successfully,” the CEO said.
He said that as per the Special Summary Revision-2024 completed with the publication of the final electoral roll, the total number of electors (voters) stands at 88.03 lakh. These include 44.89 lakh males, 43.13 lakh females and 168 third-gender electors.
Rahul, Kharge to visit J&K
Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge will visit Jammu and Kashmir for two days from Wednesday.
Rahul Gandhi and Kharge will meet the National Conference (NC) leadership to finalise modalities for a pre-poll alliance for the Legislative Assembly polls in J&K. The two are allies in the INDIA bloc.
“He will discuss the seat-sharing formula with the NC leaders here while the pre-poll alliance is almost final,” Congress sources said.
NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah has, however, recently said that there would be no pre-poll alliance with any political party and the party is confident of getting a majority in the 90-member J&K Assembly on its own.
Congress and the NC had a poll alliance during the Lok Sabha polls. Two seats of the Jammu division and the lone Lok Sabha seat of the Ladakh union territory were given to the Congress while three seats in Kashmir were given to the NC.
The Congress lost both seats in the Jammu division to the BJP while the Ladakh seat was won by an NC rebel defeating the BJP and the Congress candidates.
Out of the three seats in Kashmir, Srinagar and Anantnag-Rajouri were won by the NC. Independent candidate, Engineer Rashid defeated NC Vice President and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the Baramulla Lok Sabha election.
The National Conference on Monday announced its manifesto which promised to return the Special Status, statehood, stressing upon India- Pakistan dialogue and release of all prisoners among others. The BJP has slammed the NC manifesto, terming it misleading.
Xxx
BJP assigns Ram Madhav, Kishan Reddy
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President J.P. Nadda on Tuesday appointed former party General Secretary Ram Madhav and Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy as party incharges for J&K Assembly elections.
Ram Madhav has handled J&K affairs for the BJP in the past as well. He played a crucial role in 2016 in resolving the stalemate over government formation with the PDP headed by Mehbooba Mufti.
Madhav was authorised by the then BJP President, Amit Shah to fly to Srinagar and discuss government formation with Mehbooba Mufti.
For nearly three years, Ram Madhav was BJP’s main handler of J&K affairs. He has reportedly had a major say in the party affairs during those years.
His appointment along with G. Kishan Reddy is expected to play a vital role during the selection of candidates for the upcoming assembly elections.
In addition to this, Ram Madhav has a personal rapport with many local politicians not only in the BJP but across the board.
ALSO READ: Pakistani govt admits tinkering with internet
[soliloquy id="151345"]