Srinagar- On the last date of the withdrawal of nomination papers for the first phase of the forthcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024 in the 24 Assembly Constituencies, 25 candidates withdrew their Candidature in the Office of respective Returning Officers across seven districts on Friday.
The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, J&K UT informed that out of the total 244 valid nominations, 25 candidates withdrew their Nominations on the last date of withdrawal i.e. Friday, 30 August, 2024.
With this, only 219 validly Nominated Candidates now remain in fray for the 24 Assembly Constituencies where polling will be held in the first phase of the J&K Assembly Elections-2024 on 18 September, 2024.
7 candidates withdrew their nomination in Doda district, followed by 7 in Kishtwar district, 6 in Ramban district, 3 in Anantnag district, 1 in Kulgam district, and 1 in Pulwama district, while no candidate withdrew their nomination in Shopian district.
With this, 64 candidates remain in the final electoral fray in Anantnag district, followed by 45 in Pulwama district, 27 in Doda district, 25 in Kulgam district, 22 in Kishtwar district, 21 in Shopian district, while 15 candidates remain the final fray in Ramban district.
In Kishtwar district, 9 candidates remain in the final electoral fray for election in 48-Inderwal AC; 7 candidates in 49-Kishtwar AC; while 6 candidates remain in the fray in 50-Padder-Nagseni AC.
In Doda district, 10 candidates remain in the final electoral fray for election in 51-Bhadarwah AC; 9 candidates in 52-Doda AC; and 8 candidates in 53-Doda West AC.
In Ramban district, 8 candidates remain in the final electoral fray for election in 54-Ramban AC; while 7 candidates will contest in 55-Banihal AC.
Similarly, in Pulwama district, 14 candidates remain in the final electoral fray for election in 32-Pampore AC; 9 candidates in 33-Tral AC; 12 candidates in 34-Pulwama AC; and 10 candidates in 35-Rajpora AC.
In Shopian district, 10 candidates remain in the final electoral fray for election in 36-Zainapora AC and 11 candidates will contest in 37-Shopian AC.
In Kulgam district, 6 candidates remain in the final electoral fray for election in 38-DH Pora AC; 10 candidates in 39-Kulgam AC; and 9 candidates in 40-Devsar AC.
Finally, in Anantnag district, 10 candidates remain in the final electoral fray for election in 41-Dooru AC; 10 candidates in 42-Kokernag (ST) AC; 9 candidates in 43-Anantnag West AC; 13 candidates in 44-Anantnag AC; 3 candidates in 45-Srigufwara-Bijbehara AC; 13 candidates in 46-Shangus-Anantnag East AC; and 6 candidates in 47-Pahalgam AC. It is worth mentioning here that a total of 279 candidates had filed their nomination papers before the respective Returning Officers in 24 Assembly Constituencies till the last date of filing the Nominations on 27 August, 2024.
Out of these, the Nomination papers of 35 candidates were rejected during Scrutiny held on 28 August, 2024. And now with the withdrawal of 25 candidates, 219 candidates now remain in the final electoral fray.
It may also be mentioned that more than 23.27 lakh voters including 5.66 lakh youths are eligible to exercise their electoral franchise during the Phase-I of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Election, scheduled to be held on 18 September 2024, of which 11.76 lakh are male voters and 11.51 lakh female voters along with 60 Third Gender Electors.
9 Female Candidates In Race
A total of nine female candidates are in the fray in the first phase of assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, slated on September 18.
Out of nine female candidates in fray, five are contesting from Kashmir division while four others from Jammu division.
Candidates fighting elections from Kashmir division include Daisy Raina associated with Republican Party of India on Rajpora Pulwama seat, Gulshan Akhter as an independent from Anantnag West, Iltija Mufti from Bijbehara-Srigufwara constituency on Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket, Afroza Bano as an independent from Kulgam and Sakeena Masood Itoo from D H Pora constituency on National Conference ticket.
Candidates contesting from Jammu division include Meenakshi Bhagat on Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) from Bhaderwah, Meenakshi Kalra an independent candidate from Doda West, Pooja Thakur from Padder-Nagsani on NC ticket and Shagun Parihar from Kishtwar on BJP ticket.
Speaking to a local agency KNO, the female candidates said that they will work for the welfare, protection and education of women if elected to power.
Meenakshi Bhagat said that she has been fighting elections for the first time but if she is elected, she will work to ensure better education and job opportunities for women folk.
“I will work to fill the gap between police and women as women usually fear bringing their issues into the notice of police authorities,” she said.
Former minister and senior NC leader Sakina Itoo said that her party has mentioned many things for womenfolk in its manifesto and once they will form the government they will take up the women-friendly steps at an earliest.
Meenakshi Kalra, an independent candidate from Doda said that the area from where she is fighting elections is very far from development and she will fight for the rights and development of the area if voted to power.
Other women candidates while echoing the similar voices said that women folk are still behind in many things and they will fight for women empowerment at every front.
Pertinently, more than 23.27 lakh voters which include11.76 lakh male voters and 11.51 lakh female voters and 60 third gender electors are eligible to exercise their electoral franchise during the Phase-I of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Election, scheduled to be held on 18 September 2024. 5.66 lakh youth voters are also eligible for voting.
The notification for the Phase-I was issued on 20 August, 2024 and the last date for filing the nominations for Phase-I was 27 August, 2024 till 3:00 pm.
The nomination papers were scrutinised by the respective Returning Officers on 28 August, 2024, while the candidates were asked to withdraw their nomination papers by or before 30 August, 2024 upto 3:00 pm in the office of Returning Officer.
Azad’s DPAP Faces Setback In Chenab
From Ghulam Nabi Azad’s home turf of Chenab valley, four of his party’s Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) candidates withdrew their nomination papers from contesting the upcoming assembly elections whereas two remaining vow to contest with full might and preparations.
Muhammad Aslam Goni, the DPAP candidate from Bhaderwah, from where Azad got elected to the legislative Assembly after he became Chief Minister in 2006, was the first to withdraw his nomination papers and leaving the ground open for Congress and National Conference (NC) candidates to face Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
After Goni, DPAP candidate from Inderwal Fatima Begum, from where an independent candidate and former close aide of Azad, Ghulam Muhammad Saroori is contesting, withdrew her nomination papers.
She was a Block Development Council (BDC) Chairperson earlier as well. From both the seats of Ramban district, Ramban and Banihal, both candidates of DPAP Girdhari Lal Bhau and Asif Khanday also withdrew their nomination papers.
Talking to media persons, Goni said that he doesn’t want to become a reason to divide the votes and help the BJP candidate to win. “Our aim was to defeat the BJP and not to divide votes. I thought it was better to withdraw and provide space to others to defeat the BJP,” he said.
Similarly, Asif Khanday in Banihal said that star campaigner of DPAP Ghulam Nabi Azad’s health status has forced him to withdraw from contesting elections and will stand behind Azad at every point.
After these withdrawals, only two DPAP candidates are contesting from Chenab valley, Abdul Majid Wani from Doda and Abdul Gani Bhat from Doda West.
Other DPAP candidates from South Kashmir are contesting and have decided to test waters.
Meanwhile, other DPAP leaders who are contesting believe that it is the time for the people to reciprocate the love they have received from Azad in the past. “This is the challenging situation after Azad’s health conditions but people will vote for us because Azad lives in every heart of people of Doda constituency,” said Wani.
The two-time MLA, Wani is contesting from his home seat Doda where NC and Congress parties have fielded their candidates for a friendly contest and BJP is also in the fray.
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