Polling commences in 26 Assembly constituencies of J&K to decide fate of bigwigs

The polling began today for the second phase of the J&K Legislative Assembly in 26 constituencies across six districts of Jammu & Kashmir.

The fate of political bigwigs including ex-Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina, J&K Congress president Tariq Hamid Karra, J&K Apni Party founder Sayed Altaf Bukhari, veteran leaders of National Conference Ali Mohammad Sagar and Abdul Rahim Rather would be decided in today's polling.

National Conference Vice President and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is contesting from the Ganderbal and Budgam constituencies.

The polling started at 7:00 AM in all 3502 polling stations across 26 Assembly Constituencies of six districts namely Ganderbal, Srinagar, and Budgam in Kashmir Division; and Reasi, Rajouri & Poonch in Jammu Division. Earlier, mock drills were also conducted in all the polling stations.
From early morning, long queues of enthusiastic voters are being witnessed, waiting for their turn to exercise their right to franchise.

In this phase, 25,78,099 lakh voters are eligible to cast their ballot, comprising 13,12,730 lakh male voters, 12,65,316 lakh female voters, and 53 third-gender voters.
This phase will determine the fate of 239 candidates.

The respective District Administrations have made elaborative arrangements at all the polling stations for free, fair, and transparent elections.

BJP stakes are high in Poonch, Rajouri

The BJP is highly invested in the second phase of Jammu and Kashmir's assembly elections, seeking to maximize its wins across 11 provincial seats.

This phase is crucial for the party, as it aims to reap the benefits of its historic decision to grant Scheduled Tribe status to the Pahari ethnic group and provide political reservations to Gujjars and Bakerwals.

The party is particularly focused on the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri, where Gujjar-Bakerwals and Paharis hold significant influence. In 2014, the BJP made history by winning two assembly seats in this region, with Ravinder Raina and Abdul Gani Kohli emerging victorious in Nowshera and Kalakot, respectively.

This time around, the BJP is pulling out all the stops to secure seats in Poonch and Rajouri, including Rajouri, Thanamandi, Budhal, Surankot, Mendhar, and Poonch-Havali.
The party's seriousness is evident in Union Home Minister Amit Shah's whirlwind tour of the region, addressing five rallies in support of BJP candidates. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also rallied support in the region.

The BJP-led government's February decision to grant ST status to the Pahari ethnic group has boosted the party's confidence. This move marked the first time a linguistic group received Scheduled Tribe status in the country. Amit Shah assured that this decision would not compromise the rights of existing scheduled tribes, alleviating concerns among Gujjars and Bakerwals.

PM, HM appeal to J&K voters to cast their votes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah appealed to voters in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday to use their franchise as the second round of polling in the Union Territory began.
"I appeal to all voters that they must cast their votes and play an important role in strengthening democracy," Modi said while greeting the first-time voters.

"I appeal to all the voters going to cast their votes in the second phase of Jammu and Kashmir election to vote in maximum numbers for the creation of a terror-free and developed Jammu and Kashmir," Amit Shah wrote on 'X'.
The Home Minister said people should vote for a government that works with commitment to the golden future of the youth of Jammu and Kashmir, the rights of the deprived and women, and the development of the region.
"Vote today to strengthen democracy and to free Jammu and Kashmir from terrorism, nepotism, and corruption," he said.