Polling for the sixth phase of Jammu and Kashmir assembly began on a dull note Wednesday in sixteen constituencies of the five districts enveloped with tight security amidst chill weather and heavy overnight snowfall.
State police and paramilitary central reserve police (CRPF) have been deployed heavily in all the constituencies. But in this phase, the bigger challenge has come up in the form of bad weather than the security measures.
However, poll officials believe that the low turn up in the morning session would get momentum as the day warms up. More people would cast their votes later in the day. Elections have been taking place for the 10 constituencies of Valley’s Anantnag, Kulgam, and Doda, Rambanand and Kishtwar of the Jammu region.
This phase will decide the political fate of 271 candidates, including two former chief ministers. Former chief minister and patron of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Mufti Mohammad Syed is in the fray against Mirza Mehboob Beigh of the regional National Conference (NC) in Anantnag constituency, while former chief minister and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad is contesting from Bhadarva constituency.
Syed had won the last assembly election from the Pahalgam constituency but this time he decided to contest from Anantnag.
In relation to the women candidates, the sixth phase has the distinction of highest number of as many as 11 contestants in the fray as compared to the early phases.
A total of 271 candidates from 16 constituencies are in the fray today. Political fate of 691 candidates contested on 50 constituencies have already been sealed in the Electronic Voting Machines.
Congress is hoping to win the seats in the hilly belt of Jammu region on the development plank. The lack of development in this region has been made the issue right from the Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who held a pre-poll rally here, to the candidates and promised for better roads, schools, water and electricity. While BJP is expecting to garner Hindu votes through exploiting the Amarnath land issue, which was undoubtedly the primary region of the fall of Congress government.
The seven-phase assembly poll to the J&K which kick started on Nov 17 will conclude on Dec 24 following counting on Dec 28. All phases have so far seen high voter turnout.
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