Srinagar, October 6 (KINS): The political future of 873 candidates contesting for the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly seats will be announced on Tuesday when the counting of votes will be held at 20 voting centres.
This election is pivotal, as it will determine the first elected government in J&K since the abrogation of Article 370 five years ago.
With a three-tier security setup in place, access to counting halls will be restricted to authorized personnel, including counting agents and staff on official duty. “Strict security protocols have been established at all counting centers,” Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) PK Pole told news agency KINS.
Votes will be counted in rounds, with results for each candidate being publicly announced outside the counting centers. The three-phase election, held over September and October, recorded a voter turnout of 63.45%, slightly lower than the 65.52% turnout in the 2014 assembly elections.
Several high-profile candidates are in the running, including National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, contesting from Budgam and Ganderbal, and Sajad Gani Lone of the People’s Conference, vying for the Handwara and Kupwara seats. Congress leader Tariq Hamid Karra, contesting from Batamaloo, and BJP state president Ravindra Raina, running in Nowshera, are also among the prominent names.
Other notable contestants include AICC general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir (Dooru), PDP leaders Waheed Para (Pulwama) and Iltija Mufti (Bijbehara), Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari (Chanapora), CPI(M) veteran Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami (Kulgam), and former deputy chief ministers Muzaffar Hussain Baig and Tara Chand.
This election, the first since Jammu and Kashmir’s reorganization as a Union Territory, is expected to have a significant impact on the region’s political future. The results are anticipated to mark a critical turning point in the governance of the region. (KINS)
J&K Assembly Elections: Fate of 873 candidates to be announced on Tuesday
