J&K Assembly elections 2024: All eyes on Srinagar as polling begins in 6 districts
Polling for the second phase of Jammu and Kashmir Elections started on Wednesday morning in 26 assembly segments across the UT.
According to an official statement, the polling began today for the 2nd phase.
“The polling started at 7:00 AM in all 3502 polling stations across 26 Assembly Constituencies of six districts namely Ganderbal, Srinagar & Budgam in Kashmir Division; and Reasi, Rajouri & Poonch in Jammu Division,” the statement said.
It said from early morning, “long queues of enthusiastic voters are being witnessed, waiting for their turn to exercise their right to franchise.”
In a post on X, the CEO showed voters lined up in the early morning in Kangan to cast their vote for phase second in Ganderbal.
Over 2.5 million voters will decide the fate of 239 candidates in the fray for 26 Jammu and Kashmir assembly seats in the second phase of the election to be held in the Union territory on Wednesday.
All eyes are on the Assembly segments of Srinagar district that recorded low voter turnout ranging between lowest 21.31 per cent in the Habba Kadal segment to Sonwar (now Lalchowk) at 44.03 per cent in the 2014 Assembly election.
In the recent Lok Sabha polls, though voter turnout broke previous records, Srinagar didn’t see much voter turnout. The highest voter turnout of 29.41 per cent was recorded in the Zadibal Assembly segment and the lowest 14.05 per cent in the Habba Kadal seat.
26 seats going to polls in second phase in J&K on Wednesday
6 dists covered three in Valley (Srinagar, Ganderbal & Budgam) and as many in Jammu division (Rajouri, Poonch & Reasi)
Key candidates
- Omar Abdullah, NC leader, from Ganderbal & Budgam
- Tariq Hamid Karra, JKPCC president, from Central Shalteng
- Ravinder Raina, BJP J&K president, from Nowshera
- Sarjan Ahmad Wagay, jailed separatist leader, from Beerwah & Ganderbal
- Altaf Bukhari, Apni Party chief, from Channapora
2.5 million voters to decide fate of 239 candidates
“People have been going through a very difficult time and they have understood how important it is to have their own candidate,” People’s Democratic Party Habba Kadal candidate Arif Irshad Laigroo told The Tribune. “I am hopeful this time the voter turnout will be better as compared to Lok Sabha and 2014 Assembly elections.”
In the Jammu region, the key candidates include, BJP UT chief Ravinder Raina contesting from Nowshera; BJP’s Chowdhary Zulfikar Ali from Budhal; NC candidate Javed Ahmed Rana and Mohd Shahnawaz, Congress’ candidate from Surankote.
The second phase of campaigning saw ruling and opposition bigwigs led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi locking horns on the political stage.
This is the first assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir post the abrogation of Article 370 which granted special status to the region and its bifurcation into two union territories in August 2019. The first phase of the Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir held on September 18 was recorded at 61 per cent.
