J&K witnesses brisk polling in initial hours

Srinagar, Sep 25 (PTI) The voting in the second phase of the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir began at a brisk note Wednesday morning with queues of electors seen at multiple polling booths across all the 26 seats, officials said.

The voting began at 7 am amidst tight security arrangements and was going on smoothly, the officials said after the first two hours of voting.

They said brisk polling was witnessed in the first hour and long queues of people were seen outside the polling booths.

While the Chrar-e-Sharif assembly segment in central Kashmir’s Budgam district witnessed heavy polling, the two seats in Ganderbal district recorded brisk polling as well. However, the polling was yet to pick up in Srinagar district, the officials said.

The assembly constituencies where polls are being held in the second phase are spread over six districts — three each in the Valley and the Jammu division.

The constituencies in Srinagar district are Hazratbal, Khanyar, Habbakadal, Lal Chowk, Channapora, Zadibal, Central Shalteng and Eidgah.

The segments in Budgam district are Budgam, Beerwah, Khansahib, Chrar-I-Sharief and Chadoora, while there are two constituencies in Ganderbal district — Kangan (ST) and Ganderbal.

The seats going to polls in Jammu division are Gulabgarh (ST), Reasi, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi (in Reasi district), Kalakote-Sunderbani, Nowshera, Rajouri (ST) (in Rajouri district), Budhal (ST), Thannamandi (ST), Surankote (ST), Poonch Haveli and Mendhar (ST) (Poonch district).

The polling will decide the fate of 239 candidates including former chief minister Omar Abdullah who is contesting from two seats — Budgam and Ganderbal.

For 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.

The Election Commission of India has set up 3,502 polling stations in these segments. There are 1,056 urban polling stations and 2,446 rural polling stations, the officials said.

Security personnel comprising police, armed police and central armed paramilitary forces have been deployed in strength around the polling stations.

A multi-tier security blanket has been thrown around each polling station to ensure the voting for the second phase is held in an atmosphere free of fear, they added.

Apart from Abdullah, other key candidates whose fate will be determined in this phase include JKPCC president Tariq Hamid Karra and BJP J-K chief Ravinder Raina.

Karra is contesting from Central Shalteng, while Raina will be trying to retain his Nowshera seat in Rajouri district, which he won in the 2014 assembly polls.

The voting is scheduled to end at 6 pm.