Brisk voting in 2nd phase of J&K Assembly polls, foreign diplomats in Srinagar

The People's Democratic Party has fielded 26 candidates, the highest number, followed by the National Conference with 20, BJP with 17, and the Congress with six. There are 170 independent and other candidates.

In Short

• Omar Abdullah among 239 candidates contesting polls today
• People’s Democratic Party fields highest number of 26 candidates
• Other prominent faces include BJP's Ravinder Raina and Congress's Tariq Hamid Karra

Voting is currently underway across 26 constituencies in six districts of Jammu and Kashmir in the second phase of the Assembly polls in the union territory amid high security. Former Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah is one of the most prominent candidates in this phase along with 238 others in the running.

Meanwhile, a delegation of foreign representatives from the US, European Union, South Korea, Spain, Somalia, Panama, Nigeria, South Africa, Norway, Rwanda, the Philippines, Mexico, Singapore and Tanzania have arrived in the valley to monitor voting at some polling stations in Srinagar and Budgam districts.

The People’s Democratic Party has fielded 26 candidates, the highest number, followed by the National Conference with 20, BJP with 17, and the Congress with six. There are 170 independent and other candidates.

The seats where voting will take place comprise Kangan, Ganderbal, Hazratbal, Khanyar, Habbakadal, Lal Chowk, Channapora, Zadibal, Eidgah, Central Shalteng, Budgam, Beerwah, Khansahib, Chrar-i-Sharif, Chadoora, Gulabgarh, Reasi, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, Kalakote-Sundarbani, Nowshera, Rajouri, Budhal, Thannamandi, Surankote, Poonch Haveli and Mendhar.

Today's voting comes a week after the first phase of the polls was conducted on September 18. This was the first such election in the union territory in a decade and saw a record voter turnout of 60.21 per cent - the highest in the past seven elections.

1. A voter turnout of 24.10 per cent was recorded in the four hours since voting began at 7 am, according to the Election Commission. The Gulabgarh seat recorded the highest voter turnout at 35.72 per cent, while Habbakadal registered the lowest at 7.40 per cent.
2. Besides Omar Abdullah, who is contesting from Budgam and Ganderbal, the other prominent candidates in the fray today include the BJP and Congress chiefs in Jammu and Kashmir, Ravinder Raina (Nowshera) and Tariq Hamid Karra (Central-Shalteng), respectively.
3. At least 3,502 polling stations have been set up across the 26 districts, with 13,000 staffers to conduct peaceful balloting. Security personnel comprising police, armed police and central armed paramilitary forces have been deployed at all the centres.
4. Other key candidates are Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari (Channapora), former ministers Ali Mohammad Sagar (Khanyar), Abdul Rahim Rather (Chrar-i-Sharief), and Choudhary Zulfikar Ali (Budhal) and Syed Mushtaq Bukhari (Surankote). Jailed cleric Sarjan Ahmad Wagay, popularly known as Barkati, is contesting from the Beerwah and Ganderbal.
5. In this phase, over 15,500 displaced Kashmiri Pandit voters will be able to cast their ballots at 24 special polling stations set up in Jammu, Udhampur and Delhi. In Jammu, 14,700 such voters have been registered to cast their ballots at 19 polling stations, while over 600 Kashmiri migrant voters will vote in Delhi at four polling stations. Meanwhile, in Udhampur, 350 voters will exercise their franchise at one polling station.
6. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to "all voters to cast their votes and play their important role in strengthening democracy". In a tweet, he said, "On this occasion, I congratulate all the young friends who are going to vote for the first time."
7. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has urged voters to cast their ballots "to strengthen democracy and to free Jammu and Kashmir from terrorism, nepotism and corruption". In a tweet in Hindi, he appealed to the people to vote in record numbers today in a bid to form a "government that works with commitment for the golden future of the youth of Jammu and Kashmir, the rights of the deprived and women and for the development of this place".
8. On his part, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi urged voters to cast their ballots for the Opposition INDIA alliance. "By snatching away your statehood, the BJP government has insulted you and played with your constitutional rights. Your every vote for INDIA will break this vicious circle of injustice created by the BJP and bring Jammu and Kashmir on the path of prosperity," he tweeted.
9. A total of 25,98,099 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in this phase of voting. Out of this number, 13,12,730 are male voters, 12,65,316 female and 54 third-gender.
10. Voting for the third and last phase of the Assembly elections will take place on October 1, with vote count scheduled to take place on October 8.

(With inputs from Mir Fareed, PTI and ANI)