23.27 lakh electors eligible to vote across 24 ACs in Phase I: CEO

Jammu, Aug 22: More than 23.27 lakh voters including 5.66 lakh youth are eligible to exercise their electoral franchise during the Phase-I of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls scheduled to be held on September 18, 2024, across the 24 Assembly Constituencies (ACs) in 7 districts of J&K, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) J&K, Pandurang K Pole said on Thursday.

“As per the latest data of electoral rolls available, there is a total of 23,27,543 lakh voters, who are eligible to vote during Phase-I of the J&K Assembly. Of them, there are 11,76,441 male voters and 11,51,042 female voters along with 60 third-gender electors,” the CEO said in a statement.

Underlining the significance of the role to be played by the youth of J&K in strengthening democracy, the CEO said that as many as 5.66 lakh youth are eligible to vote in Phase 1 of the assembly polls.

These 5.66 lakh young electors are between the age of 18 and 29 and include 1,23,922 first-time voters between the age of 18-19 years, with 65,542 of them male and 58,380 female electors.

In Phase- I, 28,310 Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) and 15,774 voters above the age of 85 are eligible to cast their vote.

In the first phase, 24 Assembly Constituencies both in J&K divisions are going to election on September 18, 2024.

The notification has been issued for the Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, and Kulgam districts in the Kashmir division; and the Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar districts in the Jammu division.

In Kashmir Division, 16 assembly constituencies comprising Pampore, Tral, Pulwama, Rajpora, Zainapora, Shopian, DH Pora, Kulgam, Devsar, Dooru, Kokernag (ST), Anantnag West, Anantnag, Srigufwara-Bijbehara, Shangus-Anantnag East, Pahalgam; whereas in Jammu Division, eight assembly constituencies including, Inderwal, Kishtwar, Padder-Nagseni, Bhadarwah, Doda, Doda West, Ramban, and Banihal are scheduled to go for polls in the phase-I of the assembly polls.

The notification for Phase-I was released on August 20, 2024, and the last date for filing the nominations for Phase-I is August 27, 2024.