Key highlights:
Demographics: Over 3.71 lakh first-time voters, special provisions for PwDs.
Assembly Constituencies: 74 total, with reserved ST and SC seats.
Special Stations: 26 for Kashmiri Pandits in key locations.
Srinagar, Aug 09: As Jammu & Kashmir gears up for its upcoming Assembly Elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is preparing to set up 11,838 polling stations across the Union Territory for an electorate of 87.09 lakh voters.
This will include 44.46 lakh male voters, 42.62 lakh female voters, and a diverse demographic comprising 82,590 Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), 169 transgender individuals, 73,943 senior citizens, 2,660 centenarians, and 76,092 service electors. The region also boasts 3.71 lakh first-time voters.
The ECI stated that across the 20 districts in Jammu & Kashmir, there are a total of 74 Assembly Constituencies, including 9 reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST) and 7 for Scheduled Castes (SC).
There would be a total of 11,838 polling stations which include 2,332 in Urban and 9,506 in rural areas across 9169 locations. These include 90 PwD Managed, 90 Woman Managed and 360 Model Polling Stations.
ECI officials said that the Assured Minimum Facilities (AMF) that would be set up during the upcoming Assembly Elections include signages, volunteers help desk, ramps, toilets, electricity, drinking water, facilitation centre, Polling Stations on ground floor, Ramps with proper gradient, volunteer & wheelchair facility, Saksham App for PwDs to avail facilities at Polling stations, Home Voting Facility (Postal Ballot facility) – Fill Form 12 D, Policy for Kashmiri Migrants
ECI said there would be 26 Special Polling Stations for Kashmiri Pandits in Delhi, Jammu and Udhampur and there would be no need of cumbersome Form-M for Jammu and Udhampur and more than 23,000 voters cast votes at SPS in Jammu & Udhampur.
The ECI has also directed the Enforcement Agencies to observe strict vigil on heroin smuggling across borders and drone droppings. They have been tasked to do strict enforcement over illicit liquor transportation especially through borders in Kathua district critical border check posts 24×7.
It has also directed the District Magistrates and Superintendent of Police to be absolutely impartial, transparent, accessible to all parties equally and don’t be complacent, build upon the benchmark set by Lok Sabha elections.
“Ensure ease of voting at polling stations with assured minimum facilities like water, chairs for elderly voters. Respond to fake news in a real time manner. Action to be taken against fake news peddlers,” the directions said.
“District Magistrates (DMs) and Superintendents of Police (SPs) have been instructed not to club polling stations at the last minute for security reasons. Polling stations should be set up within 2 kilometers of voters” the directives said.
As per the official directives transport facilities should be provided for voters residing in hilly and difficult terrains. “Transparency must be ensured in granting permissions for grounds and meeting places. Additionally, webcasting should be conducted at all polling stations, exceeding the ECI’s directive of 50% coverage wherever feasible,” as per the directive.
On Friday, Chief Election Commission Rajiv Kumar said that the ECI was committed to conducting elections in Jammu and Kashmir at the earliest and would not let any “internal and external forces” derail the electoral process. He said that all the political parties in J-K are “batting strongly” for holding Assembly Elections.
Assembly polls have not been held in Jammu and Kashmir since 2014. The polls were due to be held in early 2019 following the dissolution of the legislative body of the erstwhile state in 2018.
In 2019, the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two UT’s including Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. In December of last year, the Supreme Court directed the Centre to conclude the election process by September 30, 2024.
