Polling begins for 2nd phase of J&K elections; delegation of diplomats to witness elections

Voting began on Wednesday for the second phase of the assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir in which over 2.5 million voters will decide the fate of 239 candidates in the fray for 26 seats, including that of former chief minister of the erstwhile state Omar Abdullah, officials said.

The voting began at 7 am across the 26 assembly constituencies amidst tight security arrangements, the officials said. They said these assembly constituencies are spread over six districts -- three in the Valley and as many in the Jammu division. The Election Commission of India has established 3,502 polling stations in these segments. There are 1,056 urban polling stations and 2,446 rural polling stations, the officials said.

Security personnel comprising police, armed police and central armed paramilitary forces have been deployed in strength around the polling stations. A multi-tier security blanket has been thrown around each polling station to ensure the voting for the second phase is held in an atmosphere free of fear, they added.

For this phase, 157 special polling stations have been established--- 26 'pink polling stations' managed by women, 26 polling stations manned by specially-abled persons, 26 polling stations manned by youths, 31 border polling stations, 26 green polling stations and 22 unique polling stations, the officials said.

Voting will end at 6 pm. During this phase, 93 candidates are in the fray in Srinagar district, followed by 46 in Budgam district, 34 in Rajouri district, 25 in Poonch district, 21 in Ganderbal district and 20 in Reasi district. The constituencies in Srinagar district are Hazratbal, Khanyar, Habbakadal, Lal Chowk, Channapora, Zadibal, Central Shalteng and Eidgah. The segments in Budgam district are Budgam, Beerwah, Khansahib, Chrar-I-Sharief and Chadoora, while there are two constituencies in Ganderbal district -- Kangan (ST) and Ganderbal.

The seats going to polls in Jammu division are Gulabgarh (ST), Reasi, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi (in Reasi district), Kalakote-Sunderbani, Nowshera, Rajouri (ST) (in Rajouri district), Budhal (ST), Thannamandi (ST), Surankote (ST), Poonch Haveli and Mendhar (ST) (Poonch district). Key leaders whose fate will be determined in this phase include former chief minister Omar Abdullah, JKPCC president Tariq Hamid Karra and BJP J-K chief Ravinder Raina. Abdullah is contesting from the Ganderbal and Budgam seats, while Karra is contesting from Central Shalteng. Raina will be trying to retain his Nowshera seat in Rajouri district, which he won in the 2014 assembly polls.

Jailed religious cleric Sarjan Ahmad Wagay alias Barkati is hoping to repeat Engineer Rashid's Lok Sabha poll feat against the National Conference leader. Barkati is contesting from the Beerwah and Ganderbal segments. Popularly known as Rashid Engineer, Sheikh Abdul Rashid contested the parliamentary polls held earlier this year from Tihar jail and still managed to defeat Abdullah by a margin of more than two lakh votes from the Baramulla constituency. Over 61 per cent of the electorate cast their ballots in the first phase of polling on September 18. The third phase will go to polls on October 1. The votes will be counted on October 8.

A delegation of diplomats from 16 countries, including the US, Norway and Singapore, arrived here to observe the ongoing assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir. The delegation visited a polling station in Ompora area of Budgam district soon after their arrival in the valley, officials said here.

Deputy Commissioner, Budgam, Akshay Labroo, who is also the District Election Officer, briefed the observers on the voting process during their visit to the polling station. The delegation comprised diplomats from Delhi-based missions of the US, Mexico, Guyana, South Korea, Somalia, Panama, Singapore, Nigeria, Spain, South Africa, Norway, Tanzania, Rwanda, Algeria and the Philippines, people familiar with the matter said.

Most of the embassies are represented by their Charge d'affaires and deputy chief of missions, they said. Others are represented by political officers at minister-counselor and counselor ranks.

This is perhaps for the first time since the eruption of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir that foreign observers have been allowed to witness the elections. The earlier governments stoically dismissed any suggestion of allowing international observers into Jammu and Kashmir during polls. The Centre invited the foreign delegates with the objective of showcasing the peaceful poll process and the good voter turnout that has been witnessed since the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year.

National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah lashed out at the Centre's move to invite foreign delegates to observe the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the polls were an internal matter of India.

"I don't know why foreigners should be asked to check elections here. When foreign governments comment, then the government of India says 'this is an internal matter for India' and now suddenly they want foreign observers to come and look at our elections," Abdullah told reporters here.

He said the assembly elections in J-K "are an internal matter for us", and "we do not have their certificate".

"Also, this participation is not because of the government of India, it is in spite of everything that the government of India did. They have humiliated people, they have used all the machinery of the government to detain and harass people," the former chief minister said.

"Inspite of that, people are coming and participating in the elections. So, this is not something the government of India should be highlighting. But, anyway, that's the way they are," he said.

Elections in Jammu and Kashmir are being held in three phases. Voting for 24 seats in the first phase was held on September 18 while polling for 26 seats in the second phase is underway on Wednesday. The voting for 40 seats in third phase will be held on October 1 while counting of votes will be held on October 8.