Nominations for 24 constituencies in 1st phase to open today

Srinagar, Aug 19: The Election Commission of India (ECI) is set to launch the nomination process for 24 assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, marking the beginning of the J&K’s first election since its reorganisation.

These constituencies would go to polls in the first phase of voting scheduled for September 18.

The poll body would issue notifications for the 24 seats spread across seven districts.

The districts include four in south Kashmir (Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, and Anantnag) and three in the Chenab Valley region (Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban).

The seat distribution for the first phase covers four seats in Pulwama district, two in Shopian, three in Kulgam, seven in Anantnag, three in Doda, three in Kishtwar, and two in Ramban district.

As per the schedule announced by the ECI, aspiring candidates can file their nomination papers until August 27.

The scrutiny of nominations would take place on August 28, while August 30 has been set as the last date for withdrawal of candidature.

This election marks a significant moment for J&K, being the first assembly polls since the abrogation of Article 370 and the region’s reorganisation into a Union Territory.

As J&K gears up for its first Assembly elections in nearly a decade, the final electoral rolls for the Union Territory will also be published on Tuesday, coinciding with the issuance of the first notification for the elections.

The number of registered voters is expected to approach 90 lakh, reflecting the significant voter engagement in the region.

According to the latest data, J&K currently has 87.09 lakh (8.71 million) voters.

Following the publication of the final electoral rolls, this number is projected to rise to between 88 lakh and 89 lakh, officials said.

The publication of the rolls would mark the conclusion of the Special Summary Revision exercise, providing updated voter lists for each assembly segment.

These lists will be crucial, especially since many assembly constituencies have undergone boundary changes after the Delimitation Commission increased the number of assembly seats from 83 to 90.

Of the existing 87.09 lakh voters, 44.46 lakh are male, 42.62 lakh are female, and 169 are transgender individuals.

The rolls also include 82,590 People with Disabilities (PwDs), 73,943 Very Senior Citizens, 2660 Centenarians, 76,092 Service Electors, and 3.71 lakh first-time voters.

Additionally, over 20 lakh voters fall within the 20 to 29 age group, reflecting the youth’s active participation in the electoral process.

J&K has a total of 11,838 polling stations, with 2332 located in urban areas and 9506 in rural areas.

The average number of voters per polling station is 735.

The upcoming elections will be conducted in three phases, with the first notification covering 24 constituencies on August 20.

Candidates can submit their nomination papers by August 27, with the scrutiny process scheduled for August 28.

The deadline for withdrawing nominations is August 30, and voting for the first phase will take place on September 18.

The second phase of voting, scheduled for September 25, will cover 26 Assembly segments, while the third phase, on October 1, will include 40 seats.

Major political parties, including the Bharatiya Janta Party, National Conference, Congress, People’s Democratic Party, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party, and People’s Conference are expected to announce their candidates for the first phase within the next few days.