According to the latest electoral rolls, 25,78,099 lakh voters are eligible to cast their ballot in this phase comprising 13,12,730 lakh male voters, 12,65,316 lakh female voters, and 53 third gender voters…reports Asian Lite News
J&K began voting for the second phase of the Assembly elections, covering 26 seats in six districts spread over both the Jammu region and the Kashmir Valley, on Wednesday as campaigning ended on Monday evening.
A statement by the Election Commission said that over 25.78 lakh voters in Ganderbal, Srinagar, and Budgam districts of the Kashmir division, and Reasi, Rajouri and Poonch districts of the Jammu division, will decide the fate of 239 candidates in the second phase of polls.
A total of 93 candidates are in the fray in Srinagar district, followed by 46 in Budgam, 34 in Rajouri, 25 in Poonch, 21 in Ganderbal, while 20 candidates are contesting in Reasi.
According to the latest electoral rolls, 25,78,099 lakh voters are eligible to cast their ballot in this phase comprising 13,12,730 lakh male voters, 12,65,316 lakh female voters, and 53 third gender voters. Underlining the significance of the role played by the youth of Jammu and Kashmir in strengthening democracy, as many as 1,20,612 lakh voters aged 18 to 19 are eligible to vote in Phase II.
“To facilitate smooth and hassle-free electoral participation, the Election Commission of India has established 3,502 polling stations in these segments. There are 1,056 urban polling stations and 2,446 rural polling stations,” an official said.
All polling stations will have webcasting facilities as part of the Election Commission’s efforts to ensure transparency, according to officials.
“To enhance voter participation, 157 special polling stations have been established for the second phase 26 ‘pink polling stations’ managed by women, 26 polling stations manned by specially abled persons, 26 polling stations manned by youths, 31 border polling stations, 26 green polling stations and 22 unique polling stations,” the official said.
Key names in the fray for this phase are former chief minister Omar Abdullah, JKPCC president Tariq Hamid Karra and BJP J-K chief Ravinder Raina.
Abdullah is contesting from the Ganderbal and Budgam seats, while Karra is contesting from Central Shalteng. Raina will be trying to retain his Nowshera seat in Rajouri district which he won in the 2014 assembly polls.
The second phase will be watched keenly as jailed separatist leader Sarjan Ahmad Wagay alias Barkati is hoping to repeat Engineer Rashid’s Lok Sabha poll feat against the National Conference leader.
Barkati is contesting from the Beerwah and Ganderbal segments.
Popularly known as Rashid Engineer, Sheikh Abdul Rashid contested the parliamentary polls held earlier this year from Tihar jail and still managed to defeat Abdullah by a margin of more than two lakh votes from the Baramulla constituency.
Other key candidates in this second phase of assembly polls are Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari (Channapora), former ministers Ali Mohammad Sagar (Khanyar), Abdul Rahim Rather (Chrar-i-Sharief), and Choudhary Zulfikar Ali (Budhal) and Syed Mushtaq Bukhari (Surankote).
Choudhary Zulfikar Ali and Syed Mushtaq Bukhari are contesting on BJP tickets this time.
An estimated 61.38 per cent of the electorate cast their ballots in the first phase of polling on September 18. The third phase will go to polls on October 1. The votes will be counted on October 8.
During this phase, 93 candidates are in the fray in Srinagar district, followed by 46 in Budgam district, 34 in Rajouri district, 25 in Poonch district, 21 in Ganderbal district and 20 in Reasi district.
Diplomats from 15 countries to witness polls
A delegation of diplomats from 15 countries, including the US, Norway, Philippines, Algeria, Spain and South Africa, arrived here on Wednesday to witness the polling process taking place in J&K after a gap of 10 years. Sources said the delegation of diplomats from the 15 countries arrived in the morning.
“The delegation will witness the people’s participative voting at many polling stations. The over 61 per cent voting in the first phase of the J&K elections has re-affirmed the faith of the people of the union territory in the democratic process and the arrival of the diplomatic delegation to witness the same is the result of the success of India’s democracy in J&K,” sources said.
The delegation includes diplomats from the US, Spain, Norway, Philippines, South Africa, the Republic of Korea, Rwanda, Algeria, Nigeria, Panama, Somalia, the United Republic of Tanzania, Guyana, Mexico and Singapore.
Sources said the diplomats will visit some polling stations during the day to see for themselves the festival of democracy being celebrated in Kashmir to elect a representative government of the people.
The Legislative Assembly election is being held in three phases in J& K. Voting for the first phase ended with over 61 per cent voter turnout on September 18.
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