Jammu Kashmir Election: Second phase of voting in Jammu Kashmir today, many areas affected by separatism

New Delhi:

Jammu Kashmir Elections 2024 Second Phase: The second phase of voting for the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held on Wednesday. Voting will be held on 26 seats in this phase. This phase is important because not only will voting take place in those areas which are considered centers of separatism but it will also decide the fate of former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and Vice President of National Conference Omar Abdullah.

Omar is contesting elections from Budgam and Ganderbal

Ganderbal is a hot seat on which all eyes are fixed. This is because Omar Abdullah has made it a battle of prestige to regain the Ganderbal assembly constituency. While filing his nomination in this area, he had taken off his cap and requested the people to make him win.

However, Ganderbal has been considered the family seat of the National Conference. This seat has been represented in the past by Omar’s grandfather Sheikh Abdullah, father Farooq Abdullah and Omar himself.

Sarjan Barkati, who is accused in terrorism cases, is contesting against Omar on the Ganderbal seat. He is contesting the election while being in jail. Omar says that all this is being done at the behest of the BJP. Apart from this, Ishfaq Jabbar is contesting the election on the ticket of Engineer Rashid’s Awami Ittehad Party (AIP).

Budgam is the second seat on which Omar Abdullah is trying his luck. Voting will be held on both these seats on Wednesday. Opposition parties, especially the PDP, have been targeting Omar in election rallies over the fact that he is contesting elections from two places due to fear.

Second phase of polling in separatist stronghold

All political pundits have their eyes on Srinagar and its surrounding areas for the second phase of voting. Actually, 15 out of 26 assembly seats fall in Kashmir and most of these areas have been affected by separatists. These include Khanyar, Zadibal, Lal Chowk, Idgah Hazratbal. Till now, whenever elections have been held, the polling percentage in these areas remains low.

In this year’s Lok Sabha elections, 37.98 percent votes were cast in Srinagar. According to the Election Commission, this was the highest voter turnout in the last 35 years.

Administration is worried about low voter turnout in the first phase

There is a discussion about the voting in the second phase of the assembly elections because in the first phase, despite all efforts, only 61 percent voting took place whereas in 2014, 66 percent voting took place in these areas. Local political parties are also targeting the BJP for this.

special security arrangements

The second phase mostly covers those areas where terrorist activities have increased in the last few days. That is why special security arrangements have been made. The areas where additional forces have been deployed include Kangan, Ganderbal, Hazratbal, Khanyar, Chanpora, Zadibal, Habbakadal, Lal Chowk, Beerwah, Khansahab, Idgah, Central Shalteng, Budgam, Charar-e-Sharif and Chadoora seat in Kashmir division.

Special security arrangements have been made in Gulabgarh, Reasi, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, Kalakot-Sunderbani, Nowshera, Rajouri, Budhal, Thannamandi, Surankot, Poonch-Haveli and Mendhar seats of Jammu division.

According to the Election Commission, special attention is being paid to security in this assembly election, as in the last few years, several incidents of security breaches have been reported during elections. Special instructions have been given regarding the security of EVMs. CCTV cameras have been installed at all polling stations. According to officials, there will be webcasting facilities at all polling stations to ensure transparency.

These are the VIP seats.

In the second phase, Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina is in the fray from Nowshera assembly seat and Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Hamid Karra is in the fray from Central-Shalteng seat. Other prominent candidates in this phase of the assembly elections include Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari (Channapora), former minister Ali Mohammad Sagar (Khaniar), Abdul Rahim Rather (Charar-e-Sharif), Choudhary Zulfiqar Ali (Budhal) and Syed Mushtaq Bukhari (Surankote).

Surgeon Barkati is also in the election fray from jail

Surgeon Barkati is in jail under UAPA. NIA is investigating against him, but despite this he entered the electoral fray. Surprisingly, earlier he was contesting elections from Janipora but his nomination was rejected there. Now he is trying his luck in the electoral field from Ganderbal and Beerwah. His daughter is campaigning for him. The interesting thing is that Barkati is neither targeting the PDP, which filed cases against him in 2016, nor the BJP. He is only attacking Omar Abdullah. He is hoping that just like Engineer Rashid defeated Omar in the Lok Sabha elections, he will also be able to do something similar.

Preparations of Election Commission

To ensure that maximum number of people vote, the Election Commission has set up 3,502 polling stations. Out of these, 1,056 are urban polling stations and 2,446 are rural polling stations. During this phase, 93 candidates are in the fray in Srinagar district. After this, 46 candidates are in the fray in Budgam district, 34 in Rajouri district, 25 in Poonch district, 21 in Ganderbal district and 20 in Reasi district.

Kashmiri Pandits will also vote: There are many areas in the second phase which are considered to be the stronghold of Kashmiri Pandits. Although the number of these people in the valley is less now, but this time there is an interesting fight in Habakdal. This time half a dozen Kashmiris are contesting elections from here from different parties. BJP is also contesting elections from here and is betting on Ashok Bhat.

In the second phase, more than 15,500 Kashmiri migrant voters are eligible to exercise their franchise at 24 special polling stations set up in Jammu, Udhampur and Delhi. More than 14,700 Kashmiri Pandit voters are registered in Jammu, who will exercise their franchise at 19 polling stations here.

Where will the votes be cast?

In Srinagar district, polling will be held in the constituencies of Hazratbal, Khanyar, Habbakadal, Lal Chowk, Channapora, Zadibal, Central Shalteng and Eidgah.

Polling will be held in Budgam district in blocks Budgam, Beerwah, Khansahib, Charar-e-Sharif, Chadoora and in Ganderbal district in two constituencies Kangan (ST) and Ganderbal.

The seats in Jammu division where polling will be held are Gulabgarh (ST), Reasi, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi (Reasi district), Kalakote-Sunderbani, Nowshera, Rajouri (ST), Budhal (ST), Thannamandi (ST), Surankot (ST), Poonch Haveli and Mendhar (ST).

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