JAMMU/SRINAGAR : The second phase of the five-phased Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections in five districts including sensitive Kupwara and Poonch, situated along the Line of Control started this morning amid tight security arrangements.
Altogether 18 Assembly segments in five districts of Kupwara, Kulgam (Srinagar Division), Reasi, Udhampur and Poonch (Jammu Division) are under the polling process, which started at 0800 hrs and will end at 1600 hrs. The fate of 175 candidates including sitting, former ministers and legislators will be sealed in the Electronic Voting Machines(EVMs) after the completion of the second phase of polling.
Altogether 15,35,087 electorate, including 72,22,69 women are eligible to exercise their franchise besides 17,000 Kashmiri migrant voters will also participate in the polling process at special polling stations established in Udhampur, Jammu and New Delhi.
The authorities have set up 2,181 polling booths, majority of them being hyper- sensitive and sensitive. Alltogether four ministers including Consumer Affairs and Public Distrubution(CAPD) Minister Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan (Handwara), Social Welfare Minister Sakina Itoo (Noorabad), Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Saifullah Mir (Kupwara) and Minister of State for Revenue Aijaz Khan (Gool-Arnas) are in the fray for the second phase apart from former ministers and sitting legislators. Star campaigners including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, All India Congress Committee(AICC) Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, AICC General Secretary Ambika Soni and other stalwarts from BJP and Congress had earlier addressed election rallies to woo voters in support of their candidates in these districts.
Reasi Assembly segment has the highest number of 1,08,084 voters while Karnah constituency in Kupwara district of Kashmir has the lowest 32,794 electorate in 18 segments. Chief Electoral Officer Umang Narula has sought special security and video coverage at critical and sensitive polling stations in the second phase of the State Assembly Elections.
Tight vigil and security arrangements have been made especially, in the districts close to the Line of Control for incident free and smooth electoral process. “As attempts to disrupt the poll process from across the border cannot be ruled out, tight security grid has been put in place while troops have been put on alert,” an Army officer said.
State Director General of Police had yesterday taken stock of security arrangements for the second phase of the Assembly elections asserting that smooth conduct of polls remained top concern for the state Police. He also impressed upon the officers to implement the action plan, already framed strictly for the security of polling booths.
Meanwhile, Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag had also visited the forward areas yesterday and reviewed the overall security situation, prevailing in the Valley. Gen Suhag had visited forward posts in the Tangdhar and Machhil sectors and the Dagger Division at Baramulla.
(AGENCIES)
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