Battle for 24 seats in first round of J&K polls today

SRINAGAR/JAMMU: The mood was sombre but the air was thick with anticipation as authorities shifted to high gear to ensure trouble-free voting and a high turnout during Wednesday’s first phase of the three-part assembly elections in J&K — the first in a decade.

Loudspeakers have been switched off and campaign vehicles, having logged hundreds of miles, were garaged during the 48-hour silent period that began Monday. On Tuesday, the only signs of polls were party flags, posters, and security personnel stationed at sensitive locations across J&K’s 24 constituencies — 16 in south Kashmir and eight in Jammu division spread over seven districts on either side of the Pir Panjal range.

These elections are expected to set the stage for a political showdown as established politicians, new faces, and rebel candidates vie for influence in J&K’s 90-member assembly. More than 23 lakh voters are eligible to vote in this phase, where 219 candidates, including 90 independents, are in the fray.

In Kulgam, CPM’s Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami is seeking a fifth consecutive term, while AICC general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir is eyeing a third term from Dooru. PDP has fielded Iltija Mufti, daughter of party chief Mehbooba Mufti, from Srigufwara-Bijbehara, making her the third generation from her family to contest there.

South Kashmir seats set to witness close contests between NC and PDP

Sakina Itoo of NC is contesting for another term from Damhal Hajipora, while PDP’s Waheed Para, Sartaj Madni, and Abdul Rehman Veeri are key candidates in Pulwama, Devsar, and Shangus-Anantnag, respectively.

In Jammu, political veterans are making their bid, including NC’s Sajjad Kitchloo, Khalid Najid Suharwardy, Congress’s Vikar Rasool Wani, and Abdul Majid Wani of Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP). BJP’s Sunil Sharma and Shakti Raj Parihar are also in the fray, along with independent candidate Ghulam Mohammad Saroori, a three-time MLA who was denied a DPAP ticket after he quit Congress in support of Ghulam Nabi Azad two years ago.

Other prominent candidates include former MLA Daleep Singh Parihar (BJP), Firdous Tak, Imtiyaz Shan (PDP), NC’s Pooja Thakur, BJP’s Shagun Parihar, and Mehraj Din Malik of AAP. Shagun’s candidacy is particularly poignant as her father and uncle were killed by terrorists in 2018.

Allies NC and Congress are contesting against each other in Banihal, Bhaderwah, and Doda under what they term a “friendly contest”. Rebel NC candidate Pyare Lal Sharma is running as an independent in Inderwal, while BJP rebels Rakesh Goswami and Suraj Singh Parihar are contesting in Ramban and Padder-Nagseni, respectively.

The elections in south Kashmir are expected to witness close contests between NC and PDP in several constituencies, although independent candidates could disrupt traditional vote banks. PDP’s Para, who is facing charges in a terrorism case, is locked in a tough battle in Pulwama with Mohammad Khalil Bandh, a former party colleague now running on an NC ticket. The contest is further intensified by the entry of Talat Majid Alie, a former member of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami. CPM’s Tarigami also faces a similar challenger in Sayar Ahmad Reshi in Kulgam.

A total of 14,000 polling staff will oversee the process at 3,276 polling stations, ensuring smooth conduct of the polls.

“Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel are deployed in the districts to maintain security and order during the polling,” an election official said. Authorities have expressed optimism about an excellent turnout, particularly due to efforts such as special polling booths for women, people with disabilities, and nomadic tribe folks. Arrangements were also made for home voting. “We saw remarkable participation, with specially-abled and senior citizens casting their votes,” said the official.

These will be the first assembly elections in J&K since the abrogation of Article 370 in Aug 2019. The previous elections were held in 2014, when the House strength was 87, including four seats from Ladakh. BJP and PDP won 25 seats each in Jammu and Kashmir valley, respectively. NC secured 12 of Kashmir’s 46 seats, while Congress took four. In Jammu’s 37 seats, Congress finished second to BJP with five seats, while NC and PDP won three each. Following the 2023 delimitation exercise, the assembly now has 90 seats, with 47 representatives from Kashmir valley and 43 from Jammu.

Voting for 26 seats will be held in the second phase on Sept 25, followed by 40 seats in the final round on Oct 1. Votes will be counted on Oct 8.

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