(MENAFN- Live Mint) As Jammu and Kashmir holds its first assembly election in a decade, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday encouraged voters to exercise their right to vote.
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PM Modi, in a post on X on Wednesday, said,“As the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections begins, I urge all those in constituencies going to the polls today to vote in large numbers and strengthen the festival of democracy. I particularly call upon young and first-time voters to exercise their franchise.”
Meanwhile, polling for the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections commenced on Wednesday with stringent security measures in place. Voting began at 7 am and will end at 6 pm, as per the Election Commission of India. The first phase covers 24 Assembly constituencies-16 in the Kashmir region and 8 in the Jammu region.
By the September 12 deadline, 486 candidates had submitted their nominations. After scrutiny on September 13, 449 nominations were deemed valid. Following the withdrawal of 34 candidates, 415 candidates remain in contention for this phase.
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In total, 873 candidates are competing in the assembly elections across 90 constituencies: 219 candidates for 24 seats in the first phase, 239 for 26 seats in the second phase, and 415 for 40 seats in the final phase.
Polling for the second and third phases of the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir is scheduled for September 25 and October 1, respectively, with vote counting set for October 8. This election marks the first Assembly contest in the region since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
The Congress and National Conference are contesting the elections in an alliance, while other major parties in the race for the 90 Assembly seats include the PDP, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the People's Conference.
In the 2014 assembly elections, the last held in the erstwhile state, 831 candidates competed, including 274 Independents. For the current elections, 367 candidates are vying for 43 seats in the Jammu division, where the BJP has a strong presence, and 541 candidates contesting for 47 seats in the Valley.
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In Kashmir, there is an average of five Independent candidates per assembly segment, whereas in the Jammu division, the average is about 2.93 per constituency. The Sopore assembly segment, historically known for militancy and election boycott campaigns, has the highest number of candidates, with 22 running, including 14 Independents.
Notably, among the Independents in Sopore is Ajaz Guru, the brother of Afzal Guru, convicted for the Parliament attack.
In the Sonawari segment of Bandipora district, there are 20 candidates competing, including 11 Independents, in an area with a significant presence of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami.
However, four constituencies-Budhal, Kangan, Ramangar, and Srigufwara-Bijbehara-have no Independent candidates.
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In Srigufwara-Bijbehara, located in Anantnag district, there are three candidates, including Iltija Mufti, daughter of PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti.
Doda West, Nowshera, and Ramgarh each feature one Independent candidate. Notably, Ravindra Raina, president of the BJP's Jammu and Kashmir unit and a leading candidate for chief minister if the BJP wins, is contesting from Nowshera.
(With inputs from agencies)
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