SRINAGAR: The Election Commission on Friday declared a three-phase Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir, starting on September 18 and concluding with counting on October 4.
Nearly 88 lakh voters will be eligible to cast their ballots for 90 constituencies, including nine reserved for the first time for Scheduled Tribes (STs) and seven for SCs, similar to the previous Assembly.
This will be the first Assembly election since Jammu and Kashmir became a Union Territory and the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. Additionally, for the first time, Ladakh will not participate in the J&K Assembly. Ladakh previously had four Assembly seats.
Of the 90-seat Assembly, 47 seats are in the Kashmir division and 43 are in the Jammu division. This marks the first Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir in nearly a decade, with the last one being held in November-December 2014.
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Typically, Assembly elections in J&K are conducted in four to five phases following the onset of terrorism. However, this is the shortest three-phase election schedule announced today by the EC. The last Assembly elections in 2014 and the April-May 2024 Parliamentary elections were both held in five phases. Following the election announcement, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has been enforced in the UT.
The three-phase elections are scheduled for September 18, September 25, and October 1, with counting on October 4. The entire election process will conclude by October 6.
In the last Assembly election in J&K in 2014, the BJP won 25 of the 87 seats and formed a coalition government with the PDP, which had 28 seats, under the leadership of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. The BJP withdrew support from Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP-led government in June 2018, leaving J&K without an elected government since then.
“We had pledged the shortest Assembly poll schedule, and we have delivered on that promise,” CEC Rajiv Kumar said at a press conference in New Delhi.
Out of the 90 Assembly constituencies, 74 are general, while nine are reserved for STs and seven for SCs. There are 87.09 lakh voters, of which 44.46 lakh are male and 42.36 lakh are female. However, the final electoral rolls will be published on August 20. There are a total of 11,838 polling stations, including 2,332 in urban and 9,506 in rural areas, with each polling station serving an average of 735 voters.
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“In the Lok Sabha polls in J&K, there was a sense of scepticism. However, there was robust political participation and intense campaigning. Although there has been some change in the security situation, it won’t impact the democratic process,” the CEC, flanked by ECs Gyanesh Kumar and S S Sandhu, said, adding that they aim to fortify the democratic framework.
He expressed optimism that voter turnout would be higher this time. “We hope to see strong participation from women and youth, and we expect vigorous campaigning as well.”
Rajiv Kumar noted that the Lok Sabha polls were met with great enthusiasm, and there is a growing desire to further strengthen democracy.