Poll process for Phase-II set in motion
*Kashmir’s 15 seats to be covered
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 29: The Election Commission today issued notification for Phase-II polling in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections for 26 constituencies including 11 in Jammu division, mostly covering sensitive and militancy-infested Pir Panjal range, and 15 in the Kashmir valley.
Voting in the second phase is scheduled to be held on September 25.
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Notification was today issued for 11 Assembly segments in Jammu division covering twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, which share Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan; and Reasi district which witnessed one of the worst massacre in the recent past in the Jammu region on June 9 when 11 persons including nine Shiv Khori pilgrims were killed by the terrorists.
Eleven seats for which nominations opened today include Katra, Reasi and Gulabgarh in Reasi district; Kalakote-Sunderbani, Nowshera, Rajouri, Thannamandi and Budhal (Rajouri district) and Poonch Haveli, Mendhar and Surankote in Poonch district.
“Adequate security arrangements have been finalized and will be in place in next couple of days for smooth conduct of Assembly elections. Already there has been heightened security in all the three districts in view of terror attacks and reports about presence of foreign terrorists in the area,” the officials said.
More paramilitary forces are being sent to Rajouri, Poonch and Reasi districts for ensuring peaceful campaign and voting, they added.
Army, paramilitary forces, police and SOG have been manning the heights to ensure there is no terror attack.
Of 11 seats going to votes in second phase, the BJP has already announced nine candidates while it was yet to name its nominees for Rajouri and Nowshera constituencies. Nowshera was last represented by BJP president Ravinder Raina. NC has fielded Surinder Choudhary from the constituency.
In Sunderbani-Kalakote segment, BJP has named Thakur Randhir Singh and National Conference Thakur Yashuvardhan Singh. Randhir and Yashuvardhan are brother and son respectively of former NC MLA from Kalakote Rashpal Singh.
As per seat-sharing agreement between NC and Congress, Thannamandi, Rajouri, Surankote, Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Reasi seats have gone to the Congress which is yet to name its candidates.
The NC will contest Gulabgarh in Reasi district, Budhal, Nowshera and Sunderbani-Kalakote in Rajouri district and Mendhar and Poonch in Poonch for which it has already announced the candidates.
While Katra Mata Vaishno Devi is a newly created seat, the BJP had won Reasi and Gool-Arnas and Gulabgarh had gone to Aijaz Khan and Mumtaz Khan, both brothers. Aijaz was in the Congress then but now he is with the Apni Party.
Of four seats in Rajouri in 2014, BJP won Nowshera and Kalakote while Rajouri and Budhal had gone to the PDP. This time, Rajouri has five seats.
In Poonch district; NC had won Mendhar, Congress Surankote and PDP Poonch-Haveli in 2014.
The last date for filing nominations for second phase of polling is September 5 while the papers will be subjected to scrutiny the next day. The candidates can withdraw from the polls till September 9.
Eight seats of Srinagar district will be going to polls in the second phase and 7.74 lakh electorates are eligible to cast their votes.
The seats where polls will be held in the second phase in Kashmir are Kangan, Ganderbal, Hazratbal, Khanyar, Habbakadal, Lal Chowk, Channapora, Zadibal, Eidgah, Central Shalteng, Budgam, Beerwah, Khansahib, Chrar-I-Sharief and Chadoora, in Ganderbal, Srinagar and Budgam districts.
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