J&K votes in 1st Assembly elections since Article 370's abrogation
The first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections is underway on Wednesday, with voting taking place in 24 of the state's 90 constituencies. This marks the first assembly election since the revocation of Article 370 in August 2019, which had granted special status to the region. It is also the first time that an assembly election is being held after J&K was bifurcated into two Union Territories—J&K and Ladakh—in October 2019.
Key issues and major players in the elections
The restoration of statehood is a prominent issue in these elections, with both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress-National Conference alliance promising to address it. Other significant parties include Mehbooba Mufti's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abdul Ghani Lone's People's Conference, Ghulam Nabi Azad's Democratic Progressive Azad Party, and Altaf Bukhari's Apni Party. Notably, the banned Jamaat-e-Islami is also participating indirectly by backing some candidates.
Constituencies and candidates to watch
The first phase of polling includes four seats in Pulwama, two in Shopian, three in Kulgam, seven in Anantnag, three each in Kishtwar and Doda, and two each in Ramban and Banihal. Among these constituencies, Pulwama is garnering significant attention due to the contest between PDP youth leader Waheed ur Rehman Para and former party veteran Mohammad Khalil Band of the National Conference. Additionally, Iltija Mufti—daughter of PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti—is making her electoral debut from Srigufwara-Bijbehara constituency.
Security measures and voter turnout
The Jammu and Kashmir Police have implemented extensive security measures to ensure maximum voter turnout. These include multi-tier security from the Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPF), Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police, and J&K Police. The second phase of voting is scheduled for September 28, while the third and final phase will take place on October 5.
