40 seats, 415 candidates: Voting for the third phase in Jammu and Kashmir today, these VVIPs in the fray

Jammu Kashmir Elections 3rd Phase Voting: The third phase of voting for the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will take place on Tuesday. Voting will take place from 7 am to 6 pm. In this phase, voting is to be held on 40 seats in 7 districts. In this phase, 415 candidates including two Deputy CMs are trying their luck. The Election Commission has deployed more than 20 thousand poll workers for voting.

According to news agency PTI, in this phase 39.18 lakh voters will cast their votes at 5060 polling booths. On October 1, voting will be held on 40 seats of Jammu, Udhampur, Samba and Kathua in Jammu region and Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara in North Kashmir. Tight security arrangements have also been made for voting. Talking about the two phases, 61.38 percent voting took place in the first phase on September 18. Whereas on October 26, 57.31 percent voting took place in the second phase. Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Jammu region, Anand Jain said that adequate security arrangements have been made in the polling areas to ensure terrorism-free and peaceful voting. This is the first assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution in August 2019, the results of which will be declared on October 8.

Voting will take place on these seats

In the last phase, 40 assembly constituencies include 24 seats in Jammu region and 16 seats in Kashmir Valley. In this phase Bishnah-SC, Suchetgarh-SC, RS Pura, Jammu South, Bahu, Jammu East, Nagrota, Jammu West, Jammu North, Akhnoor-SC and Chhamb, Bani, Billawar, Basohli, Jasrota, Kathua-SC and Hiranagar, Udhampur West, Udhampur East, Cheni and Ramnagar-SC and Ramgarh-SC, Samba and Vijaypur, Karnah, Tregham, Kupwara, Lolab, Handwara and Langate, Sopore, Rafiabad, Uri, Baramulla, Gulmarg, Wagura-Kreeri and Pattan, Sonawari, Voting will be held in Bandipora, Gurez (ST).

According to the Election Commission, a total of 5,060 polling stations have been set up. Of these, 50 polling stations will be managed by women, which are known as pink polling stations. 43 polling stations will be manned by specially-abled persons and 40 polling stations will be manned by youth. Apart from this, there will be 45 green polling stations and 33 unique polling stations to spread the message about environmental concern. 29 polling stations have been set up near the Line of Control or International Border for border residents.

These big leaders are in the field

In this phase, the fate of prominent leaders like People’s Conference President and former Minister Sajjad Lone and National Panthers Party India President Dev Singh is at stake. Lone is contesting from two seats in Kupwara, while Singh is contesting from Chenani seat in Udhampur. Former ministers Raman Bhalla (RS Pura), Usman Majeed (Bandipora), Nazir Ahmed Khan (Gurez), Taj Mohiuddin (Uri), Basharat Bukhari (Wagoora-Kreeri), Imran Ansari (Pattan), Ghulam Hasan Mir (Gulmarg), Chaudhary Lal Singh (Basohli), Rajeev Jasrotia (Jasrota), Manohar Lal Sharma (Bilawar), Sham Lal Sharma and Ajay Kumar Sadhotra (Jammu North), Mula Ram (Madh), Chandra Prakash Ganga and Manjeet Singh (Vijapur) among others. Candidates are in the fray.