347 Independent candidates in fray across three phases
43 women contesting
Over 45,000 first-time voters in J&K’s Election Roll
219 candidates in First Phase, 239 in Second, & 422 in third
Independent candidates account for nearly 40% of contenders
Voter turnout expected to rise as 93,000 new voters added in J&K Revision
Srinagar, Sept 17 : Over 88 lakh voters in Jammu and Kashmir are set to elect representatives in the upcoming Assembly elections, the first such political ex-ercise in over a decade. A total of 880 candidates are contesting across three phases.
The first phase saw 280 nominations, of which 36 were rejected and 25 candi-dates withdrew, leaving 219 in the contest. In the second phase, out of 329 nominations, 62 were rejected and 27 withdrew, resulting in 239 candidates. The third and final phase saw the highest participation, with 518 nominations filed. After 66 rejections and 30 withdrawals, 422 candidates remain in the fray.
Notably, 347 independent candidates are contesting across the three phases, comprising 39.43% of the total candidates. Phase one features 86 independ-ents, the second phase has 99, and the third phase sees 162 independents, marking the second-highest number of independent candidates in J&K’s elec-tion history, behind the 468 independents in the 2008 Assembly elections. The participation of women is also significant, with 43 women candidates in the race. Nine women are contesting in the first phase, six in the second, and 28 in the third phase.
Following the 2024 Special Summary Revision, the voter count in J&K stands at 88.03 lakh, comprising 44.89 lakh male voters, 43.13 lakh female voters, and 168 third-gender voters. The revision added 93,000 new voters, including 45,000 new voters aged 18 to 19, reflecting a strong youth presence. The elec-tion will take place in three phases, starting today, with the second phase scheduled for September 25 and the third on October 1. Results will be an-nounced on October 8.
