Voting began today at all 5,060 polling stations spread across 40 Assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) as a bright autumn sun welcomed voters eager to exercise the democratic right.
Many in Valley wore woollen attire in districts Baramulla and Kupwara while in Jammu division, particularly Kathua, Samba, and Udhampur districts, voters saw voters dressed in summer clothing.
Queues started forming outside polling stations in areas as diverse as Pattan, Sangrama, Kreeri, Tangmarg, Kunzar, and Uri town as voters in traditional Dogri dress celebrated the occasion in a festive spirit at stations in Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, R.S. Pura, and elsewhere in Jammu.
Along the International Border, voter morale was high at Samba, Kathua, and Jammu districts. Voters received the poll personnel deployed in the polling stations, and special arrangements had been made for infirm voters and voters with disability to cast their votes at convenient places.
In the third and final phase of J&K Assembly elections, 39.18 lakh voters are to decide the political fate of 415 candidates at 40 constituencies which will vote today.
Voting is taking place in the districts of Jammu, Samba, Kathua, and Udhampur districts as well as in Baramulla and Kupwara districts of the Valley. The total consists of 11 constituencies in Jammu, three in Samba, six in Kathua, and four in Udhampur, alongside 16 constituencies in Baramulla and Kupwara districts.
The Commission has also designed special polling stations for the Kashmiri migrant voters. There are 11 in Jammu and four in Delhi besides one in Udhampur district.
Polling stations and adequate security: For this particular round of voting, the Election Commission has made 5,030 polling stations. Police officers said on Tuesday that an adequate number of security personnel from the CRPF and J&K Police were deployed to ensure smooth polling.
Region domination around polling stations and securing the routes for poll staff and the public were made prior to voting, with deployments mobilizing at first light on Tuesday to secure access for sector officers, poll observers, candidates, and other officials involved in the electoral process.
The voting started at 7 a.m. and will end at 6 p.m., with vote counting set for October 8.
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