Jammu and Kashmir: Security heightened ahead of second phase of polling

As Jammu and Kashmir will undergo the second phase of assembly polls on September 25, security has been tightened in the Rajouri district of the territory.

As safety measures, security personnel have been deployed in several areas and vehicles are being checked.

Elections in the second phase of assembly polls will be conducted on 26 assembly seats in six districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

The seats on which elections will be conducted are Kangan (ST), Ganderbal, Hazratbal, Khanyar, Habbakadal, Lal Chowk, Channapora, Zadibal, Eidgah, Central Shalteng, Budgam, Beerwah, Khansahib, Chrar-i-Sharief, Chadoora and Gulabgarh (ST).

It will also be conducted on Reasi, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, Kalakote - Sunderbani, Nowshera, Rajouri (ST), Budhal (ST), Thannamandi (ST), Surankote (ST), Poonch Haveli and Mendhar (ST).

Notably, the second phase of elections will decide the fate of former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and NC leader Omar Abdullah, from both Budgam and Ganderbal seats.

Other prominent candidates in the fray include Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina from Nowshera assembly seat and Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Hamid Karra from Central-Shalteng seat.

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National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Monday held an election rally in Ganderbal district amid ongoing assembly elections in the territory.

Earlier on Monday, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said that the BJP-led government has already promised to restore the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir, and Congress Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is only repeating what the BJP had promised long back.

Attacking Rahul Gandhi, Singh said that the former is repeating the same thing in order to take credit by saying that it happened because he had put pressure on the government.

"You don't have a say in running your government. The orders are followed from Delhi. We wanted the statehood to return here before the elections, but we will definitely try that it does happen after the polls," saidRahul Gandhi while addressing a rally in Poonch on Monday (Sep 23).

The first phase of voting was completed in Jammu and Kashmir on September 18, with a voter turnout of 61.13 per cent registered across 24 constituencies in seven districts, as per the Election Commission.

Voting for the second and third phases in J-K will be held on September 25 and October 1 respectively. Vote counting will be conducted on October 8 along with the counting of votes in Haryana.

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