J&K polls: With 2.59 lakh voters, Bandipora to vote in final phase on Oct 1

Srinagar, Sep 27 (PTI) With more than 2.59 lakh eligible voters, Bandipora will go to polls in the third and final phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls on October 1.

The district comprises three Assembly constituencies — Sonawari, Bandipora, and Gurez — with a total of 2,59,893 voters, including 1,32,679 male, 1,27,208 female, and six from the third gender category, an official spokesperson said.

To facilitate the voters, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has established 312 polling stations — 46 urban and 266 rural — for smooth and hassle-free elections in the district, the spokesperson said.

Among the three assembly constituencies of the district, Sonawari has the highest number of 1,21,276 registered voters, comprising 61,473 male, 59,799 female, and four transgender voters.

A total of 137 polling stations, including 23 urban and 114 rural, are spread across this constituency.

The Bandipora segment comes next with a voter population of 1,16,326, among which 59,483 are male, 56,841 female, and two third-gender voters.

To facilitate the voters, 144 polling stations have been established in the constituency — 23 urban and 121 rural polling stations.

The Gurez assembly constituency has the least number of electorate with 22,291 registered voters — 11,723 male and 10,568 female.

A total of 31 rural polling stations have been established across the constituency.

The District Administration has completed all necessary preparations to ensure a fair and transparent election. Adequate measures have been taken to ensure accessibility, security, and smooth operations at all polling stations across all constituencies, the spokesperson said.

According to the ECI guidelines, every polling station has taken measures to guarantee the safety and accessibility of voters, especially women, the elderly, and persons with disabilities, to facilitate a hassle-free voting experience.

The first Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls in a decade are being held in three phases for 90 Assembly seats.

The first phase was held on September 18 across seven districts covering 24 assembly segments. The second phase on September 25 covered 26 constituencies and the third phase on October 1 will see 40 constituencies going to polls.