New Delhi: The Election Commission of India has issued notification for the first phase of the three-phased assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir in which 24 segments will go to polls on September 18. With the issuance of the notification, the nomination process for the candidates has started.
The last date for making nominations for the first phase is August 27, while the scrutiny of the nominations will take place on August 28. The last date for the withdrawal of candidature is August 30 and the date of poll, if necessitated, is September 18. In the first phase, 16 assembly segments in the valley that are in south Kashmir and eight in the Jammu region will go to polls.
The Assembly elections for 90 seats will be held on September 18, 25, and October 1. Twenty-six seats will vote in the second phase on September 25. The final phase, on October 1, will see voting in 40 seats. The counting will take place on October 4.
Over 90,000 first-time voters registered in J&K
J&K Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said that a total of 93,284 voters have been added in the Special Summary Revision across Jammu and Kashmir while the elector population ratio has improved from 0.59 to 0.60. “The number of young voters in the 18 to 19 years age group has increased by 45,964, with 24,310 of them being women even as the overall number of women voters has also gone up by 51,142,” the CEO said.
He added that the total number of young electors in Jammu and Kashmir in the 18-29 age group stands at 25.34 Lakhs. Command and control centers have also been set up at the Srinagar and Jammu offices of the CEO to check violations of the model code of conduct.
BJP names poll in-charges; Rahul reaches Srinagar
As BJP National President JP Nadda appointed Ram Madhav, former national general secretary, and Union minister G Kishan Reddy as election in-charge, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi arrived in Srinagar for key meetings over preparation for the upcoming assembly elections. The duo is likely to meet National Conference Chief Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah to discuss a pre-poll alliance.
