Jammu Kashmir to polling booth after 10 years; voting begins, tight security in place

SRINAGAR: The first phase of voting of the Jammu Kashmir Assembly elections has begun amidst tight security. This is the first Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir in 10 years. It's also the first election since the region became a Union Territory. 219 candidates are seeking the mandate in Jammu which has more than 23 lakh voters. The polls are being held across 24 constituencies, with 8 seats in Jammu and 16 in Kashmir.

This is the first election in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. The Election Commission has announced that 23,27,580 electors, including 11,76,462 men, 11,51,058 women, and 60 third-gender voters, are eligible to cast their votes in the first phase.
14,000 polling staff will oversee the polling at 3,276 polling stations. Polling will be held till 6 pm.

Congress and the National Conference are in alliance on the 'INDIA' front. BJP and PDP parties are contesting alone. There is friendly competition between Congress and National Conference including in Doda constituency.

Some of the prominent candidates in the fray are Iltija Mufti (daughter of former CM and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti), CPM leader Yousuf Tarigami, former MP Justice (Retd) Hasnain Masoodi, former MLA Zahoor Ahmad, National Conference's Mohammed Rafi Sheikh and PDP's Justice Abdul Rashid Malik.