Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Dec 6: About 13.69 lakh electorates would decide the fate of 143 candidates including many bigwigs like Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, his Ministerial colleagues and uncle Dr Sheikh Mustafa Kamaal, several former Ministers, sitting legislators and two Rajya Sabha members in third phase of polling for 16 Assembly constituencies spread over three districts of Budgam, Baramulla and Pulwama, which would go to polling in third phase of elections on December 9, the campaigning for which will end at 6 pm tomorrow.
An all time high 500 additional companies of para-military forces apart from Armed Police, Indian Reserve Police and Jammu and Kashmir Police are being deployed in 1781 polling stations set up by the Election Commission of India for 16 Assembly seats.
Official sources told the Excelsior that para-military and police personnel were being deployed well in advance in all polling stations and vulnerable areas of 16 Assembly segments of three districts of the Valley, which would vote in Phase-III of the elections in view of multiple terror attacks yesterday and apprehensions that the militants could again carry out attacks to lower voting turnout after brisk polling of 71.28 per cent and 72.1 per cent in first two phases, which had rattled Pakistan and its sponsored militants.
The Election Commission, civil and police administration were taking all possible measures to ensure that tempo of high voting turnout witnessed in first two phases was maintained in Phase-III also. Polling has already been completed in 33 out of 87 Assembly constituencies in two phases while 16 segments would go to voting in Phase-III.
In first two phases of elections, 400 companies had been deployed for the polling. More forces were being deployed in Phase-III as all 16 segments fall in the Kashmir Valley and moreover there had been increased threat of terror strikes after yesterday’s multiple attacks in which 21 persons were killed.
Among the bigwigs, whose fate would be decided by 13.69 lakh electorates including 7.17 lakh male, 6.51 lakh females and 18 third gender electors in Phase-III, were Chief Minister Omar Abdullah (Beerwah), his Ministerial colleagues Abdul Rahim Rather (Charar-i-Sharief), Taj Mohi-ud-Din (Congress-Uri), Ghulam Hassan Mir (DPN-Gulmarg), two Rajya Sabha members of NC—Mohammad Shaffi Uri (Uri) and Ghulam Nabi Ratanpuri (Pulwama), Omar’s uncle Dr Sheikh Mustafa (Gulmarg), PCC (I) chief Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz’ son—Salman Soz (Baramulla) and former Ministers including Javed Mustafa Mir (PDP-Chadoora), Aga Syed Ruhulla Mehdi (NC-Budgam) and Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen (PDF-Khansahib), PDP sitting MLAs Syed Basharat Bukhari (Sangrama) and Dr Shaffi Ahmad Wani (Beerwah) among others.
Former Legislative Council Chairman and PDP leader Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjoora is also in the electoral battle from Charar-i-Sharief. Retired IGP Raja Aijaz Ali is in the fray from Uri constituency as the PDP candidate facing Mohammad Shaffi Uri and Taj Mohi-ud-Din among others.
Apart from Beerwah, Omar is also contesting the election from Sonawar Assembly constituency in Srinagar district, which will have polling in Phase-IV of the elections on December 14.
While polling was completed in Ladakh region in the first phase, no Assembly segment of Jammu region would have voting in Phase-III. Two Assembly segments of Jammu regions—Samba and Vijaypur would go to votes in Phase-IV on December 14 while 20 Assembly constituencies of Jammu region—11 in Jammu district—five in Kathua and four in Rajouri will go to polls in final and fifth phase of voting on December 20.
Of 16 constituencies going to vote on December 9, highest number of seven falls in Baramulla district including Uri, Rafiabad, Sopore, Sangrama, Baramulla, Gulmarg and Pattan followed by five in Budgam—Chadoora, Budgam, Beerwah, Khansahib and Charar-i-Sharief and four in Pulwama districts—Tral, Pampore, Pulwama and Rajpora.
Sopore Assembly segment in Baramulla district, the home town of hardliner separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani has highest number of 1.03 lakh votes in Phase-III while Sangrama constituency in the same district has lowest number of 66,159 electorates. Sopore has 134 polling stations and Sangrama 92.
Baramulla district has 5.91 lakh electorates, Budgam 4.45 lakh and Pulwama 3.32 lakh. The three districts have 825, 547 and 409 polling stations respectively.
Sopore and Pattan Assembly constituencies in Baramulla district have highest number of 15 candidates each in the fray while lowest number of five candidates were contesting in Uri segment of the same district. Rafiabad and Sangrama seats have 12 candidates each, Baramulla (11), Pulwama (10), Pattan, Gulmarg and Rajpora eight each, Chadoora, Budgam and Tral—7 each and Beerwah, Khansahib and Pampore—6 each.
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