Srinagar- Assembly elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir after a decade in three phases from September 18, setting the stage for the people of the union territory to elect a government after the scrapping of Article 370 in 2019.
The Election Commission also announced that elections to the 90-member Haryana assembly will be held on October 1 and results for both the polls will be declared on October 4.
The two assembly elections will be the first popularity test for the BJP and the INDIA bloc following the Lok Sabha polls.
The three-phase elections to the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir assembly will be held on September 18, September 25 and October 1, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar told a press conference in the presence of Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu.
After suffering reverses in the Lok Sabha polls, including in Haryana, the BJP is keen to regain political momentum by retaining power in the state and putting up a strong show in Jammu and Kashmir, where its strongholds have been traditionally confined to the Jammu division.
The Congress, however, is hoping to continue with its political revival by toppling the BJP from power in Haryana after 10 years and inflicting losses on its rival in the Jammu region where the two parties are the main contestants.
Two regional parties, the National Conference and PDP, have won most of the seats in the Kashmir valley between them in past elections. Both parties are part of the INDIA bloc along with the Congress but all three of them fought separately in the Lok Sabha elections, a scenario likely to persist in the assembly polls too.
In the 2019 polls in Haryana, the BJP had 40 of its 90 seats and formed the government in alliance with the Jananayak Janta Party. In the last assembly in J and K in 2014, the BJP had won 25 of its 87 seats and had joined hands with the PDP to form a government under the leadership of the regional party’s leader Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
Its assembly now has 90 seats following delimitation.
CEC Kumar said assembly elections in Maharashtra, which were held along with Haryana in 2019, will be announced later due to security requirements for Jammu and Kashmir.
He said four elections are due this year and by early next year and since Jammu and Kashmir was not in the picture last time (2019-20) the Commission decided to group two assembly elections together.
Besides Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana, elections are due in Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Delhi.
Kumar said the next set of elections will be announced after the completion of the polls in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana.
While 24 seats will go to the polls in the first phase in Jammu and Kashmir, elections will be held in 26 seats and 40 seats in the second and third phases respectively.
The seats going to poll in phase-one include Pampore,Tral, Pulwama, Rajpora, Zainapora, Shopian, D.H. Pora, Kulgam, Devsar, Dooru, Kokernag (ST), Anantnag West, Anantnag, Srigufwara – Bijbehara, Shangus – Anantnag East, Pahalgam, Inderwal, Kishtwar, Padder – Nagseni, Bhadarwah, Doda, Doda West, Ramban and Banihal.
According to the poll-body, 26 seats would go to the polls in the second phase for which notification would be issued on August 29. The voting in these seats spread over three districts each of central Kashmir and Pir Panchal region and Reasi district would take place on September 25.
The seats going to polls in second phase include Kangan (ST), Ganderbal, Hazratbal, Khanyar, Habbakadal, Lal Chowk, Channapora, Zadibal, Eidgah, Central Shalteng, Budgam, Beerwah, Khansahib, Chrar-i-Sharief, Chadoora, Gulabgarh (ST), Reasi, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, Kalakote – Sunderbani, Nowshera Rajouri (ST), Budhal (ST), Thannamandi (ST), Surankote (ST), Poonch Haveli and Mendhar (ST).
In the last phase, election would take place for as many as 40 seats. While the notification for this phase would be issued on September 05, the voting would take place on October 01.
The seats going to polls in the 3rd phase include Karnah, Trehgam, Kupwara, Lolab, Handwara, Langate, Sopore, Rafiabad, Uri, Baramulla, Gulmarg, Wagoora – Kreeri, Pattan, Sonawari, Bandipora, Gurez (ST), Udhampur West, Udhampur East, Chenani, Ramnagar (SC),Bani, Billawar, Basohli, Jasrota, Kathua (SC), Hiranagar, Ramgarh (SC) Samba, Vijaypur, Bishnah (SC), Suchetgarh (SC),R.S. Pura – Jammu South, Bahu, Jammu East, Nagrota, Jammu West, Jammu North, Marh (SC),Akhnoor (SC) and Chhamb.
The last assembly elections were held in Jammu and Kashmir in November-December 2014 in five phases.
The announcement by the Election Commission comes months after the Supreme Court upheld the Centre’s decision to scrap Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and directed that Assembly elections be held by September 30.
While referring to polls in Jammu and Kashmir, the CEC told reporters that in the Lok Sabha elections, people in the UT reposed faith in ballot and rejected bullets and boycotts.
He said the voter turnout in parliamentary elections in UT proved people’s faith in democracy.
Notably, this will be the shortest election in at least the last two decades. The phasing of the J&K election is significant, given that over the last two decades, due to the region’s security concerns, polls have consistently been held in at least four phases or more.
In 2002, polls were conducted over four phases in September and October. In 2008, elections were held in seven phases in November and December; and in 2014, they were conducted in five phases.
Electoral Rolls On Aug 20: EC
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday said that Amarnath Yatra will conclude on August 19, and the final electoral roll will be published on August 20. He emphasized the commission’s commitment to holding polls in J&K.
Addressing a press conference, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar stated that the total number of electors in J&K is 87.9 lakhs, with 11,838 polling stations.
Kumar announced that the Amarnath Yatra will conclude on August 19, and the final electoral roll will be published on August 20. He emphasized the commission’s commitment to holding polls in J&K.
The CEC noted that the Lok Sabha polls in J&K showed a strong democratic spirit, with long queues of voters at polling stations. He attributed this to the triumph of the ballot over the bullet.
The ECI also announced that 360 model polling stations will be set up in J&K, with ease of voting facilities for Kashmiri migrants. Kumar expressed his desire to strengthen democratic layers in the region.
When asked about voter turnout, Kumar expected an increase in voters, especially women, and hoped for a festive environment during the assembly polls. He highlighted the positives in J&K, including a changed security scenario.
The CEC concluded by reiterating his expectation of a higher voter turnout in the assembly polls, with increased participation from women.
MCC Comes Into Force
The Model Code of Conduct came into force in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday with the announcement of a poll schedule for the assembly elections in the Union Territory, officials said.
“The MCC comes into effect with the announcement of elections by the commission. All provisions of the Model Code will apply to Jammu and Kashmir, covering all candidates, political parties, and the governments of these states/UTs,” the officials said.
They said the MCC will apply to the union government as well with respect to any announcements or policy decisions related to Jammu and Kashmir.
Following the enforcement of the MCC, the ECI directed J-K’s chief electoral officer and chief secretary to take immediate action for the enforcement of the MCC.
The directions included taking immediate action in case of defacement of government property, misuse of official vehicle, and advertisement at the cost of public exchequer among others.
The ECI on Friday announced three-phased assembly elections in J-K from September 18 which will be held after a decade, setting the stage for the people of the union territory to elect a government after the scrapping of Article 370 in 2019.
The Election Commission also announced that elections to the 90-member Haryana assembly will be held on October 1 and results for both the polls will be declared on October 4.
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