• Over 2,338 polling stations set up
• All arrangements finalised for 6th Phase: CEO Pole
• 18, 36,576 enrolled in 5 districts to decide fate of 20 candidates
• 19 border polling Stations in Rajouri and Poonch
• CCTV cameras installed at every polling station
Srinagar, May 23: The high pitched campaigning for the much talked about Rajouri-Poonch-Anantanag Lok Sabha seat of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Union Territory (UT) ended today evening after which the government imposed restrictions in the border district Poonch in Jammu region for ensuring free and fair elections.
The District Magistrate Poonch has issued prohibitory orders under Section 144 of Cr.PC as per which there will be complete ban on public gatherings/meetings, use of loudspeakers besides ban on gathering of 05 or more persons at a particular place.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has established 2,338 polling stations for over 18.36 lakh voters across the Anantnag-Rajouri Parliamentary Constituency, which will decide the fate of 20 candidates on May 25. Officials announced on Thursday that all arrangements for the Lok Sabha elections have been finalized.
Chief Electoral Officer of Jammu and Kashmir, P.K. Pole, told Rising Kashmir that all preparations for the 6th phase of the Lok Sabha polls in the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency have been completed. He expressed optimism about a high voter turnout. “We are committed to conducting free, fair, transparent, peaceful, and incident-free elections. The right to vote is a fundamental constitutional right for citizens, and everyone should exercise this right,” he said.
Pole emphasized that voting is not only a constitutional right but also a responsibility. He encouraged people to choose their representatives or use the NOTA option at their respective polling stations. “We are expecting a good turnout, and people should exercise their right to vote and participate in the largest democracy,” he added.
The CEO detailed that all necessary arrangements, including water, electricity, separate washrooms, and other facilities, have been ensured at polling booths. The constituency spans five districts: Kulgam, Anantnag, Poonch, Shopian (Zainapora), and Rajouri, with a voter demographic of 933,647 males, 902,902 females, and 27 individuals of the third gender. Additionally, 17,967 persons with disabilities and 540 individuals over the age of 100 are set to vote.
The polling stations will be staffed by a team of four election officials, including a Presiding Officer, totalling over 9,000 personnel, including reserves. Notably, 19 of these polling stations are in the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch. There will also be 17 polling booths managed by women (pink polling stations), 15 booths managed by specially-abled persons, and eight booths managed by youths. Fifteen green polling stations will emphasize environmental awareness.
Pole also highlighted that all polling stations will feature webcasting and GPS-tracked vehicles, with CCTV cameras ensuring live webcasting to control rooms at the district and CEO offices. Cameras will be positioned to maintain the secrecy of the vote.
To address communication shadow areas, alternative arrangements such as satellite phones, wireless sets, and special runners have been made. Since the announcement of the elections, material and cash worth approximately Rs. 94.797 crore have been seized, including significant seizures by the Police Department, Income Tax Department, Excise Department, and Narcotics Control Bureau.
Every polling station will provide Assured Minimum Facilities (AMF) like drinking water, electricity, toilets, ramps, furniture, and shelters. Wheelchairs will also be available. The Ballot Units will feature candidate lists in Braille script, and there will be separate queues for senior citizens and specially-abled persons. Voter help desks, manned by Booth Level Officers (BLO), will offer assistance as needed.
Special Polling Stations have been established for migrant voters from the Kashmir Division, with 26 stations in total: 21 in Jammu, four in Delhi, and one in Udhampur District.
Over 18.30 lakh eligible voters, including 8.99 lakh women and over 81,000 first-timers, will determine the outcome for 20 contestants, including former Chief Minister and PDP President Mehbooba Mufti, Mian Altaf of the National Conference (NC), Zaffar Iqbal Manhas of the Jammu Kashmir Apni Party led by Altaf Bukhari, and Tariq Hamid Parray from Ghulam Nabi Azad’s party.
The Rajouri and Poonch areas were previously part of the Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat until delimitation created the new Rajouri-Poonch-Anantnag seat. This seat will go to the polls for the first time on May 25. The BJP had won the erstwhile Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat in both 2014 and 2019. However, in the 2024 elections, the BJP has not fielded a candidate for this seat, instead running a campaign urging voters to defeat candidates from the NC, PDP, and Congress, all part of the INDIA alliance.
Meanwhile in a notable political move, the BJP has openly declared its support for Altaf Bukhari’s Jammu Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) and has urged voters in the Rajouri-Poonch-Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency to support Zaffar Manhas, the JKAP candidate. “We, through different means, have appealed to the people to defeat NC, PDP, and Congress and vote for Zaffar Manhas of JKAP,” senior BJP leader Vibodh Gupta told Rising Kashmir. Gupta added that the BJP conducted a roadshow yesterday to rally support for Bukhari’s party’s candidate.
Sources reveal that the BJP cadre has been working tirelessly to mobilise voters and garner support for the JKAP candidate in the Rajouri-Poonch-Anantnag constituency.
