Srinagar, Oct 01 : Voting has commenced in the third and final phase of the Jammu & Kashmir Assembly elections, with over 39.18 lakh voters eligible to cast their ballots across 40 Assembly Constituencies (ACs) in seven districts of the Union Territory.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pandurang K Pole said, that all arrangements for the election process are in place and they anticipate a high voter turnout.
Security measures have been intensified, with personnel from the Jammu & Kashmir Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) ensuring a smooth and safe voting process across the region.
The final phase will determine the fate of several prominent political figures, including 17 former ministers, eight ex-MLAs, and four officials who took voluntary retirement from services (VRS) to join the electoral race.
Among the top contenders in the Kashmir division are former Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Beg and former ministers like Taj Mohiud-Din, Sajjad Lone, Syed Basharat Bukhari, Ghulam Hassan Mir, and Imran Ansari, representing major political parties such as the People’s Conference, Apni Party, National Conference (NC), and People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Key figures from Jammu, such as former ministers Tara Chand (Chhamb), Mula Ram (Marh), Sham Sharma and Ajay Sadhotra (Jammu North), along with other senior politicians including Raman Bhalla and Choudhary Gharu Ram (Jammu South-RS Pura), are also vying for victory.
Notable candidates include BJP national secretary Narinder Singh and former MLA Devender Singh Rana, contesting from Jammu South-RS Pura and Nagrota, respectively. Other prominent leaders in the race include Balwant Singh Mankotia (Chenani), Choudhary Lal Singh (Basohli), and Harshdev Singh (Chenani).
This phase is expected to be crucial for all the political parties with voters having the final say on the outcome of several high-profile electoral battles.(KINS)
