After an impressive turnout of over 61 per cent in the first phase, Jammu and Kashmir is now set for the second phase of assembly elections on September 25.
In the second phase, the election will take place in 26 assembly segments including 11 seats from three districts of Jammu. The constituencies include Hazratbal, Khanyar, Habbakadal, Lal Chowk, Channapora, Zadibal, Eidgah, and Central Shalteng in the Srinagar district. Five constituencies including Beerwah, Khansahib, Chrar-i-Sharief and Chadoora in Budgam district in central Kashmir.
The constituencies in Jammu’s Reasi district include Gulabgarh (ST) and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi. Kalakote-Sunderbani, Nowshera, Rajouri, Thanamandi and Budhal are in Rajouri district, while the remaining three—Poonch-Haveli, Mendhar, and Surankote—are in Poonch district.
In Ganderbal, central Kashmir, National Conference vice president and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is in the fray. Abdullah is also contesting from Budgam, where he is pitted against PDP’s Agha Syed Muntasir, cousin of NC leader and MP Agha Syed Rooullah Mehdi. The Agha family holds influence among the Shia Muslims in Budgam, who constitute 40 per cent of the electorate, while the remaining are Sunni Muslims. In both constituencies, Omar faces strong opposition from the People's Democratic Party (PDP).
Another key constituency in the Ganderbal district is Kangan, reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST), where seven candidates are contesting. The NC-Congress alliance has given the mandate to Bhupinder Singh, while the BJP has fielded Baldev Raj Sharma. Pratap Krishan Sharma is contesting from the JKPDP, and four independent candidates—Jugal Kishore, Bansi Lal, Raj Kumar, and Sham Singh—are also in the fray.
Another notable constituency in this phase is the newly created Mata Vaishno Devi assembly seat in the Reasi district, which was previously part of the Reasi constituency. Seven candidates are competing for this seat; NC-Congress alliance has fielded Bhupinder Singh, the BJP has fielded Baldev Raj Sharma, and Pratap Krishan Sharma is contesting from JKPDP. Four independent candidates—Jugal Kishore, Bansi Lal, Raj Kumar, and Sham Singh—are also in the race.
The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election is being conducted in three phases, with voting on September 18, September 25, and October 1. The counting of votes will take place on October 8. Adequate security arrangements have been made to ensure smooth and incident-free elections.