Srinagar/Jammu, Sep 18 (UNI) Polling begins for the first phase of the J&K Assembly election, which is taking place after a gap of 10 years in the valley.
Polling, which began at 7 am, will continue till 6 pm, the Election Commission said.
In the first phase, polling will take place in eight constituencies in the Jammu division and 16 in South Kashmir.
Prominent candidates in the first phase include senior Congress working committee member Ghulam Ahmed Mir, PDP’s Iltija Mufti (daughter of party chief Mehbooba Mufti), CPI(M) leader Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami, PDP youth leader Waheed Para, former MP and National Conference leader Hasnain Masoodi, senior NC leader Sakeena Itoo, BJP leader Sofi Youusf, former Jamaat-e-Islami member Talat Majeed, independent candidate G M Saroori, BJP’s Sushri Parihar, and NC’s Sajad Kichloo, among others.
In Kashmir, while there are a large number of independent candidates, the main contest remains between archrivals NC and PDP. In Jammu, the battle is primarily between the BJP and Congress.
Election panel officials said elaborate arrangements have been made for the polls. They are also focussing on encouraging voter participation, particularly among young and first-time voters.
Officials said a multi-tier security grid has been put in place to ensure smooth and peaceful elections.
The second and third phases of polling will take place on September 25 and October 1 respectively. The votes will be counted on October 8.
