Jammu, Sept 18 (PTI) Enthusiastic voters thronged polling stations in large numbers across Chenab valley to exercise their franchise as the first phase of assembly elections began in Jammu and Kashmir after a gap of a decade.
Long queues of voters were visible in almost all polling stations in Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts having a total of over 7.14 lakh eligible voters who will decide the fate of 64 candidates in the first phase of the elections, also covering four districts of south Kashmir's Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian.
The polling started at 7 am at all 1,328 polling stations set up across eight assembly seats of Chenab valley districts amid heavy security, as the region has witnessed a spurt in terror activities over the past three months, leaving six army personnel and four terrorists dead.
According to election authorities, Kishtwar district recorded a turnout of 14.83 per cent in the first two hours, followed by Doda (12.90 per cent) and Ramban (11.91 per cent).
Former J&K Congress president Vikar Rasool Wani, former minister and NC candidate Sajjad Ahmad Kitchloo joined early morning voters to exercise their franchise, while BJP candidate Shagun Parihar performed special prayers for her success.
"Who is at fault that assembly elections are taking place in J&K after a gap of 10 long years? BJP is responsible for this otherwise the elections should have taken place in 2019," the Congress leader told PTI after casting his vote at Tulbagh-Rallu polling station.
Wani, a former minister, had won the Banihal seat in 2008 and 2014 assembly elections and is looking for a hat-trick of wins this time.
"The last elections were held when Jammu and Kashmir was a full fledged state and now the elections are taking place under the status of Union Territory. People are enthusiastic and voting to ensure a strong government is formed which can resolve all their problems and issues including unemployment," Kitchloo said in Kishtwar.
The 29-year-old Parihar, daughter of a slain BJP leader Ajit who along with his brother was killed by terrorists in November 2018, is contesting against Kitchloo and performed Pooja (special prayers) at home before casting her vote.
"Security is the biggest issue here. I do not want anyone to suffer what happened to me. I want every daughter to have her father's blessings," she said.
Meanwhile, 24 polling stations -- 19 in Jammu, one in Udhampur, and four in Delhi -- have been set up to facilitate more than 35,000 Kashmiri Pandits to exercise their franchise in the first phase.
Members of the displaced community are registered as voters in 16 constituencies of south Kashmir.
The voting is scheduled to end at 6 pm, the election officials said, adding separate polling stations managed by women, specially-abled persons and youth, green polling stations to spread messages about environmental concerns, and other unique polling stations have been set up in the three districts.
This is the first assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories -- Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir. The last assembly election was held in 2014.
The second phase covering 26 seats is slated for September 25, the third and final phase in 40 segments on October 1 followed by counting of votes on October 8.
Besides Wani and Kitchloo, former ministers trying their luck include Khalid Najid Suharwardy (NC), Abdul Majid Wani (DPAP), Sunil Sharma (BJP), Shakti Raj Parihar (Doda west), and Ghulam Mohammad Saroori, a three-time MLA who is fighting as an Independent after he was denied ticket by DPAP which he had joined after quitting Congress in support of Ghulam Nabi Azad two years ago.
Former MLA Daleep Singh Parihar (BJP), former MLCs Firdous Tak and Imtiyaz Shan (PDP), NC's Pooja Thakur, the sitting chairperson of district development council Kishtwar, and Mehraj din Malik of AAP, are among other prominent faces in the fray.
Ten candidates are in fray from Doda district, 51 from Bhadarwah Assembly Constituency, nine from 52-Doda, and eight from 53-Doda West.
In Kishtwar district, nine candidates are contesting from 48-Inderwal, seven candidates from 49-Kishtwar, while six from 50-Padder-Nagseni. In Ramban district, eight candidates are contesting from 54-Ramban and seven from 55-Banihal.
Doda has a total of 3,10,613 registered voters, comprising 1,60,057 male, 1,50,521 female, and 8 transgender persons, with 534 polling stations, officials said.
A total of 1,79,374 electors, composed of 91,935 male and 87,435 female, and 4 transgender voters are poised to exercise their right at 429 polling stations in Kishtwar district, while the Ramban district has 2,24,214 registered voters -- 1,16,019 male, 1,08,193 female, and one transgender person. A total of 365 polling stations are spread across the district.