Srinagar, Sep 06 (KNO): Following the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) notification on August 29, the second phase of assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir has been set in motion. A total of 329 nominations were received for 26 assembly constituencies, with 267 accepted and 62 rejected after scrutiny.
As per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), this marks J&K's first assembly elections since the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. The ECI has announced that the region will undergo polling in three phases, with the first phase already underway.
Key constituencies & nomination details
The deadline for filing nominations was September 5, 2024, and the scrutiny of documents occurred on September 6. Candidates have until September 9, 2024, to withdraw their nominations, with polling scheduled for September 25.
Ganderbal constituency
In Ganderbal, 24 candidates submitted nominations. Notable among them is National Conference (NC) Vice President and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who has filed for two seats—Ganderbal and Budgam. After scrutiny, 15 nominations were accepted and 9 rejected in Ganderbal.
Srinagar district
Srinagar's eight constituencies saw a significant number of candidates, with a total of 118 nominations. Habba Kadal leads with 21 candidates, followed by Hazratbal with 18. Other constituencies are also competitive:
Khanyar: 12 candidates
Lalchowk: 12 candidates
Chanapora: 11 candidates
Zadibal: 15 candidates
Eidgah: 15 candidates
Central Shaletang: 14 candidates
Notable candidates in Srinagar include Apni Party’s Syed Altaf Bukhari from Chanapora, NC’s Tanvir Sadiq from Zadibal, Ali Mohammad Sagar of NC from Khanyar, and Muzaffar Shah of the ANC.
Budgam district
Budgam has received 73 nominations, with 56 accepted and 17 rejected. The Beerwah constituency saw the highest number of nominations, with 19 applications (15 accepted and 5 rejected).
Jammu division
Key constituencies in the Jammu division are also part of this phase:
Reasi: 11 nominations
Gulabgarh (ST): 7 nominations
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi: 7 nominations
Rajouri (ST): 14 nominations
Kalakote-Sunderbani: 11 nominations
Nowshera: 8 nominations
Budhal (ST): 7 nominations
Thannamandi (ST): 8 nominations
Poonch Haveli has 13 nominations, Surankote (ST) 11, and Mendhar (ST) 11 nominations.
Withdrawal and upcoming phases
Candidates have until September 9 to withdraw their nominations. As the second phase approaches, political activities are intensifying across Jammu and Kashmir, with campaigns and rallies underway.
With key figures, including former CM Omar Abdullah, contesting in multiple constituencies, this election is poised to be a significant event in Jammu & Kashmir's political history—(KNO)