New Delhi/Srinagar:
Assembly elections (Jammu-Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024) are being held in Jammu and Kashmir after 10 years. Voting is to be held on a total of 24 assembly seats in 7 districts in the first phase on Wednesday (September 18). Out of the 24 seats in the first phase, 8 seats are in Jammu Division and 16 seats are in Kashmir Valley. The maximum 7 seats are in Anantnag and the minimum 2-2 seats are in Shopian and Ramban districts. This election is also special because this is the first assembly election after the removal of Article 370. In the 2014 elections, Jammu and Kashmir was a state. There was a coalition government of BJP and PDP. But we have changed the situation. Now Jammu and Kashmir is a Union Territory.
Let us know on which seats voting is to be held in the first phase of Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections? Which hot seats will everyone keep an eye on? What are the security arrangements for voting:-
Voting on which seats in which district?
In the first phase, voting will be held in 4 seats of Pulwama, 2 of Shopian, 3 of Kulgam, 7 of Anantnag, 2 of Ramban, 3 of Kishtwar and 3 seats of Doda district.
23.27 lakh voters in the first phase
According to the Election Commission, a total of 23,27,580 voters are eligible to vote in the first phase. These include 11,76,462 men, 11,51,058 women and 60 third gender voters. In the first phase, 1.23 lakh youth aged 18 to 19 years, 28,309 Divyangs and 15,774 elderly voters above 85 years of age will also be able to exercise their franchise. 1.23 lakh first-time voters will also cast their vote for the first time.
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Displaced Kashmiri Pandits are also eligible to vote
In the first phase of voting in Jammu and Kashmir, more than 35,000 displaced Kashmiri Pandits living across the country are eligible to vote at 24 polling stations. Displaced Kashmiri Pandits will be able to exercise their franchise in 16 assembly constituencies of Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam districts of South Kashmir.
How many candidates are in the fray?
219 candidates including 90 independents are in the fray for 24 seats in three districts of Jammu region and four districts of Kashmir valley. Pampore seat has the highest number of candidates. Seat-wise, 10 candidates are in the fray for Doru seat of Anantnag district. 10 candidates are in the fray for Kokernag (ST) seat, 9 in Anantnag West, 13 in Anantnag, 3 in Srigufwara-Bijbehara, 13 in Shangas-Anantnag East, 6 in Pahalgam. 10 candidates are in the fray for Bhaderwah seat of Doda district, 9 in Doda, 8 in Doda West, 9 in Inderwal. Talking about Kishtwar district, 9 candidates are trying their luck for DH Pora seat, 10 in Kulgam, 9 in Devsar.
How many constituencies?
According to the Election Commission data, 3,276 polling stations have been set up for voting in 24 constituencies. There are 302 polling stations in urban areas and 2,974 in rural areas. Four election personnel including the presiding officer will be deployed at each polling station. Special polling booths have been set up in Delhi, Jammu and Udhampur for Kashmiri migrants.
Inspector General of Police for Kashmir region V.K. Birdi said that Jammu and Kashmir Police has made elaborate security arrangements for the assembly elections so that maximum number of people can exercise their franchise. Birdi said that several forces of Central Armed Paramilitary Force (CAPF), Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police and Jammu and Kashmir Police have been deployed for security arrangements.
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PDP has the highest number of crorepati candidates i.e. 18
According to the report of Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), the average assets of 219 candidates of Phase-1 is Rs 3 crore. Out of the total 219 candidates of the first phase, 50% i.e. 110 candidates are crorepatis. They have assets worth one crore or more. 18 out of 21 candidates of PDP are crorepatis. 16 candidates of National Conference, 11 of BJP, 8 of Congress, 5 of Democratic Progressive Azad Party and 1 candidate of CPIM are crorepatis. AAP and JDU are also contesting the elections. According to the report of ADR, in the first phase of voting, PDP Abdul Gaffar Sofi is the richest candidate, he has assets worth Rs 66 crore. Whereas AAP’s Fayaz Ahmed Sofi is the candidate with the least assets. He has only 10 thousand rupees.
36 candidates have criminal cases against them
According to the ADR report, out of 219 candidates, 16% i.e. 36 candidates have criminal cases registered against them. 11% i.e. 25 candidates have serious cases registered against them like murder, kidnapping. 4 candidates have cases of attempted murder registered against them. 2 candidates have cases of crimes against women registered against them.
Keep an eye on these hot seats
– Iltija Mufti, daughter of PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, who is contesting from Bijbehara, is in a triangular contest with Bashir Ahmed Veeri of the National Conference and Sofi Mohammad Yousuf of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
-PDP’s Waheed Para is contesting from Pulwama seat. He is accused in a terrorism case. He is facing a tough challenge from former party colleague and National Conference candidate Mohammad Khalil Band. The contest on this seat has become interesting with the entry of former member of banned Jamaat-e-Islami, Talat Majeed Ali.
-73-year-old Mohammad Khalil Bandh is a three-time MLA. He won the assembly elections of 2002, 2008 and 2014 consecutively on a PDP ticket. However, when the PDP started splitting after the abrogation of Article 370, Bandh joined the National Conference.
-36-year-old Para had campaigned for him as a PDP youth leader from Pulwama in the 2008 and 2014 elections.
Now both are in a tough electoral contest against each other.
-Among the prominent candidates in Kashmir, Communist Party of India (Marxist) Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami is contesting for the fifth consecutive time from Kulgram seat. All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir is contesting for the third time from Dooru, while National Conference (NC)’s Sakina Itoo is contesting from Damhal Hajipora.
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-People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s Sartaj Madni (Devsar) and Abdul Rehman Veeri (Shangas-Anantnag) are also among the prominent candidates.
– When Iltija was fielded in Bijbehara constituency, PDP had to face rebellion as this area is represented by PDP vice-president Abdul Rehman Bhat. Abdul Rehman had won the seat four times since the 1998 assembly by-elections against the National Conference. BJP has fielded former MLC Sofi Yusuf from here. It is believed that there will be a bilateral contest between Iltija and Bashir Veeri in this constituency on Wednesday.
– However, Iltija is relying on the PDP cadre vote. She is hoping that her vocal stand on Article 370 after August 5, 2019 can attract young voters towards her. Her regular social media presence gave her prominence. She tried to capitalize on this in her electoral career. But, the alliance of Jamaat and AIP can have an impact here too.
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-Kashmir Valley’s only communist leader in Kulgam assembly constituency, Muhammad Yusuf Rather, is popular by the name of his native village Tarigami. He is facing the banned Jamaat in this area for the first time. Jamaat is supporting former JEI member Sayyar Ahmad Reshi here.
-In Tral assembly constituency, there is a fight between two Sikh candidates between Singh vs Singh. An interesting fight will be between two Sikh candidates in Tral.
-Two Sikh candidates are contesting from Tral in South Kashmir, while 9 candidates are contesting from Tral in South Kashmir. Congress’ Surendra Singh and PDP’s Rafiq Ahmed Nayak have been nominated here. This is the only seat from where two other Sikh candidates Pushwinder Singh and Harbakhsh Singh Sasan are also contesting as independent candidates.
-Engineer Rashid’s Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) has also fielded a Sikh candidate Dr Harbaksh Singh, popularly known as Shanti.
Everyone’s eyes are on the Jamaat
-Sarjan Barkatiya had earlier filed nomination from Jainipora, but his nomination was rejected. That is why Jamaat is now supporting former PDP MLA Aijaz Ahmed Mir. Ahmed Mir is contesting as an independent candidate from Jainapora seat after Mehbooba Mufti did not give him ticket.
– Apart from these four seats, eyes will also be on Banihal and Zainapora assembly constituencies. There is a direct contest between NC and Congress in Banihal assembly constituency.
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-INDIA Bloc partners have termed it a “friendly” contest, even though the candidates of the two parties have been anything but friendly during the campaign. Congress’s two-time MLA and former party president Vikar Rasool and NC’s Sajjad Shaheen are facing off in a direct contest on the Chenab Valley seat.
Let us tell you that the second phase of voting for the 90-seat Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will be held on September 25. Votes will be cast on 26 seats in the second phase. Votes will be cast on 40 seats for the third phase on October 1. The results will be declared on October 8.
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