16 south Kashmir constituencies go to polls today

Anantnag, Sep 17: Voters in 16 assembly constituencies spread across four south Kashmir districts are casting their ballots on Wednesday.

A total of 24 assembly seats across Jammu and Kashmir are witnessing polling in the first leg of polling. The polling will begin at 7 am and conclude at 6 pm.

According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), 23,27, 580 lakh voters are set to exercise their franchise in this phase of polling.

All 16 assembly constituencies in south Kashmir, spread across Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam districts will go to polls.

In Anantnag district, seven Assembly seats – Dooru, Kokernag, Anantnag, Anantnag West, Srigufwara-Bijbehara, Shangus-Anantnag East and Pahalgam - are going to polls while in Pulwama, four assembly constituents – Pulwama, Rajpora, Tral and Pampore - will witness polling.

Similarly, the electorate in Shopian district’s two Assembly segments—Shopian and Zainapora—and Kulgam district’s three constituencies—Kulgam, Devsar and DH Pora -- cast their ballots.

The voters are set to determine the fate of 175 candidates across south Kashmir. Of these, 64 candidates are from Anantnag, 45 from Pulwama, 25 from Kulgam and 21 from Shopian.

As the Assembly elections are taking place for the first time in a decade, a high voter turn is anticipated, reflecting the eagerness of the electorate to restore the democratic process in the region.

During the canvassing, which began soon after the Election Commission of India announced the elections on August 16, the political parties and their supporters made unceasing efforts to secure the support of voters. The political observers with long-standing experience believe that Kashmir witnessed such electrifying campaigns by the candidates after a few decades.

The participation of proscribed Jamaat-e-Islami-backed candidates along with the entry of new political parties like Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party and Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) in the electoral process added a new dimension to elections.

The last Assembly elections were held in 2014, when J&K was still a state.