Comprehensive arrangements for 24 AC’s in J&K Assembly Polls: CEO
Pampore AC leads with 14 candidates, Srigufwara-Bijbehara AC sees tight race with just 3
Srinagar, Sep 17: With the first phase of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elec-tions scheduled for September 18, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pandurang K. Pole has announced comprehensive preparations to ensure a smooth voting process. A total of 23.27 lakh voters will decide the fate of 219 candidates across 24 constituencies in seven districts.
In a video statement released on Tuesday, CEO Pole confirmed that all 3,276 polling stations are equipped with essential facilities such as shade, drinking water, ramps, and toilets. Additionally, each station is fitted with webcasting and GPS technology to ensure transparency and security. Multi-layered securi-ty arrangements are in place to oversee the election process.
Special initiatives for the election include 24 “Pink Polling Stations” managed by women, 24 stations operated by persons with disabilities, 24 “Green Polling Stations” to promote environmental awareness, and 17 “Unique Polling Sta-tions” to engage various sections of society. Each polling station will be staffed by four election officials, including a Presiding Officer, with over 14,000 polling staff deployed for this phase.
The voter roll includes 11,76,462 male voters, 11,51,058 female voters, and 60 third-gender voters. There are 89 independent candidates among the 219 can-didates contesting. The Pampore constituency has the highest number of can-didates at 14, while Srigufwara-Bijbehara has the fewest at three.
Polling will take place from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm, with extended hours if neces-sary for voters still in line. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has im-plemented 100% webcasting across all polling stations, with CCTV-type cam-eras set up for live monitoring in phase 5.
Authorities received 280 nominations, of which 36 were rejected and 25 were withdrawn. After scrutiny, a total of 219 candidates remain in the fray for the 24 assembly segments.
District-wise details:
Doda: 3,10,613 voters, 534 polling stations
Anantnag: 6,67,843 voters, 844 polling stations
Ramban: 2,24,214 voters, 365 polling stations
Shopian: 2,09,062 voters, 251 polling stations
Pulwama: 4,07,637 voters, 481 polling stations
Kulgam: 3,28,782 voters, 372 polling stations
Kishtwar: 1,79,374 voters, 429 polling stations
