A three-member delegation of diplomats from 15 countries, including the US, Norway, Philippines, Algeria, Spain and South Africa, landed here Wednesday to witness the polling process taking place in J&K after a gap of 10 years.
Sources said the delegation of diplomats from the 15 countries arrived in the morning.
The people are exercising their participative voting at many polling stations, and it can be envisioned that the over 61 per cent voting in the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir elections has re-affirmed the faith of the people of the union territory in the democratic process and the arrival of the diplomatic delegation to witness the same is the result of the success of India's democracy in J&K," sources said.
The delegation consists of diplomats from the US, Spain, Norway, Philippines, South Africa, the Republic of Korea, Rwanda, Algeria, Nigeria, Panama, Somalia, the United Republic of Tanzania, Guyana, Mexico, and Singapore.
Sources close to the diplomats said they plan to visit a few polling stations during the day to see for themselves the festival of democracy being celebrated in Kashmir to elect a representative government of the people.
In Jammu and Kashmir, the Legislative Assembly election is being held in three phases. Voting for the first phase ended on September 18 with over 61 per cent voter turnout.
Voting for the second phase begins at 7 a.m. Wednesday and will end at 6 p.m. Altogether, 25.78 lakh votes will seal the political fate of 239 candidates in six districts of J&K.
During the three-phase election, the Election Commission of India has erected 3,502 polling stations in the six districts of J&K, which include Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu division and Srinagar, Budgam, and Ganderbal in Kashmir.
Senior politicians in the fray for Phase II include Former J&K Chief Minister and Vice president National Conference Omar Abdullah, JKPCC chief Tariq Hameed Karra, BJP J&K president Ravinder Raina, former Ministers Ali Mohammad Sagar, Asiya Naqash, Abdur Rahim Rather, Hakim Mohammad Yasin, Choudhary Zulfiqar, and J&K Apni Chief Syed Altaf Bukhari.
Voting will occur on October 1 for the third and final round of these elections, while counting will be done on October 8.
Read also| 25.78 Lakh Voters to Determine Fate of 239 Candidates in Second Phase of J&K Elections
Read also| Atishi Takes Charge as Delhi CM, Echoing Symbolism from the Ramayana
