Jammu And Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024: Polling began in 26 seats across six districts of Jammu and Kashmir in the second phase of assembly elections on Wednesday (September 25). Polling is being held across 15 seats in the Kashmir Valley and 11 seats in the Jammu division of the Union Territory (UT). The first phase of the J&K Assembly elections was held on September 18, which saw a 61 per cent voter turnout. The final phase of polling will be held on October 1 and the votes will be counted on October 8.
This is the first assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir in a decade after the abrogation of Article 370 in the erstwhile state in August 2019. Around 2.5 million voters are eligible to exercise their franchise to vote in this phase. Polling is being held in three districts in Kashmir including Ganderbal, Srinagar, and Budgam, and three districts in Jammu division-- Reasi, Rajouri and Poonch-- which recently witnessed terror attacks.
Key Seats
In Kashmir Valley, the 15 seats where polling is being held are Kangan, Ganderbal, Hazratbal, Khanyar, Habbakadal, Lal Chowk, Channapora, Zadibal, Eidgah, Central Shalteng, Budgam, Beerwah, Khansahib, Chrar-i-Sharief and Chadoora, while the 11 seats of Jammu division are Gulabgarh, Reasi, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, Kalakote-Sunderbani, Nowshera, Rajouri, Budhal, Thannamandi, Surankote, Poonch Haveli and Mendhar.
Key Candidates In Fray
A total of 239 candidates are in the fray across these 26 seats. Among key candidates in the fray are National Conference vice president and former chief minister Omar Abdullah who is contesting from two seats – Ganderbal and Budgam and BJP's Jammu and Kashmir chief Ravinder Raina, who is contesting from Nowshera assembly seat. Congress's J&K Committee president Tariq Hamid Karra is also in the fray from the Central-Shalteng seat while Apni party president Altaf Bukhari is contesting the election from Channapora.