Security tightened as 239 candidates vie for 26 seats in J&K’s phase 2 polls today

Srinagar: Over 2.5 million voters in Jammu and Kashmir will cast their ballots on Wednesday in the second phase of the Union Territory’s Assembly elections. This crucial phase will see 239 candidates competing for 26 seats across six districts, with three in the Valley and three in the Jammu division.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has set up 3,502 polling stations to facilitate the voting process. Of these, 1,056 are in urban areas and 2,446 are in rural parts of the region. “All polling stations will have webcasting facilities to ensure transparency,” an election official confirmed.

The voting process will commence at 7 am and conclude at 6 pm, with security forces already in place to ensure a peaceful and orderly election. Thousands of police, armed police, and central paramilitary forces have been deployed to maintain security at polling stations and surrounding areas. A multi-layered security blanket has been created around each polling booth to ensure an environment free from fear or intimidation.

The second phase of polling will feature special provisions aimed at enhancing voter participation. The Election Commission has established 157 special polling stations for this phase. These include 26 polling stations operated by women, 26 managed by specially-abled persons, 26 run by youths, and 31 polling stations located in border areas. Additionally, there are 26 green polling stations and 22 unique polling stations, each designed to cater to the unique needs of different voter groups.

Several key political figures are contesting in this phase. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is a prominent candidate, contesting from two constituencies, Ganderbal and Budgam. The president of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC), Tariq Hamid Karra, will be running from the Central Shalteng constituency, while Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Ravinder Raina will contest from Nowshera in Rajouri district, a seat he won in the 2014 Assembly elections.

In a particularly notable race, jailed separatist leader Sarjan Ahmad Wagay, also known as Barkati, is contesting from the Beerwah and Ganderbal segments. Barkati hopes to replicate the success of Sheikh Abdul Rashid, known as Rashid Engineer, who ran in this year’s parliamentary elections from Tihar Jail and defeated Abdullah by more than 200,000 votes in the Baramulla constituency. Other significant candidates in this phase include Altaf Bukhari, president of the Apni Party, who is contesting from Channapora. Former ministers Ali Mohammad Sagar, Abdul Rahim Rather, Choudhary Zulfikar Ali, and Syed Mushtaq Bukhari are also in the fray, with Zulfikar Ali and Syed Mushtaq contesting under the BJP banner this time.

The Election Commission has taken several measures to ensure a smooth voting process, particularly focusing on the security of polling stations. According to officials, strong rooms where the electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be stored post-voting have been secured and are under continuous digital surveillance. This will help maintain the integrity of the voting process and prevent any tampering with the machines.

Over 13,000 polling staff have been deployed to ensure the voting process runs smoothly across all polling stations. The ECI is also utilising webcasting at all polling stations to allow live monitoring.

“As the second phase of voting takes place tomorrow, we have made elaborate security arrangements to ensure that the maximum number of people exercise their right to vote,” a senior police official stated.

The first phase of the Assembly elections, held on September 18, saw a voter turnout of 61.38 per cent, signalling strong participation from the electorate. The third and final phase of the election, which will cover 40 constituencies, is set for October 1, with the results being announced on October 8.

In this second phase, the Srinagar district will see 93 candidates in the fray, followed by 46 candidates in Budgam district, 34 in Rajouri district, 25 in Poonch district, 21 in Ganderbal district, and 20 in Reasi district. Key constituencies in Srinagar include Hazratbal, Khanyar, Habbakadal, Lal Chowk, Channapora, Zadibal, Central Shalteng, and Eidgah. Budgam district includes segments such as Budgam, Beerwah, Khansahib, Chrar-I-Sharief, and Chadoora, while Ganderbal’s seats are Ganderbal and Kangan (ST). In Jammu division, important constituencies include Gulabgarh, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, Kalakote-Sunderbani, and Rajouri (ST), among others.