The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is all set to vote, for the first time in the last 10 years, in the first phase of the maiden Assembly polls after the Abrogation of Article 370 for 24 Assembly segments spread across seven district headquarters on Wednesday. These are also the first Assembly elections in J and K after the delimitation exercise in 2022.

Over 23.27 lakh voters will decide the fate of 219 candidates, including 90 independents.

Over 35,000 Kashmiri Pandits are also eligible for voting in the first phase. Elaborate security arrangements have been made by the Election Commission of India to provide a conducive atmosphere to the electorate.

More than 14,000 polling staff have been deputed on duty for the 1st phase of polling.

Out of 24 Assembly seats, 16 fall in the Kashmir province and eight in Jammu. Four districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, and Kulgam will witness voting in Kashmir valley. In Jammu, voters across three districts of Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban will exercise their right to vote. The main parties in the fray are the The The major parties in the fray are National Conference (NC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP).

The last Assembly polls were conducted in November 2014 recording a voter turnout of 65.5 per cent. Jammu and Kashmir recorded the highest voter turnout in a Lok Sabha election in 35 years this time. The overall turnout for the five Lok Sabha seats of the Union Territory was 58.46 per cent.

The region witnessed high-voltage campaigning in the run-up to polling day. While the Bharatiya Janata Party is harping on its development agenda and showcasing its report card during the campaigning, on the other hand, the PDP and Omar Abdullah’s NC have promised to restore Article 370 and statehood to J and K.

The BJP has also promised to reinstate J and K’s statehood, which is a big issue in these elections. The Congress — which is fighting the polls in an alliance with the NC is aiming to improve its tally. The party vowed to bring back J and K statehood but remained silent about the UT’s loss of special status.

The participation of even separatist leaders in the polls shows the shift in the political narrative in Kashmir. Candidates fighting elections from the Kashmir division include 37-year-old Iltija Mufti, daughter of PDP Chief and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti from Bijbehara-Srigufwara constituency on Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket, Afroza Bano as an independent from Kulgam and Sakeena Masood Itoo from D H Pora constituency on National Conference ticket. The political parties have deployed a large number of women cadres to reach out to the women voters in their respective constituencies.

Candidates contesting from the Jammu division include Shagun Parihar from Kishtwar on a BJP ticket, Meenakshi Bhagat on Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) from Bhaderwah, Meenakshi Kalra an independent candidate from Doda West, Pooja Thakur from Padder-Nagsani on NC ticket. 29-year-old Shagun Parihar is challenging former Minister Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo of the National Conference while Pooja Thakur of NC is contesting against BJP’s organisation secretary Sunil Sharma.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party has fielded its youth leader Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra from the South Kashmir constituency of Pulwama. He is fighting against Mohammad Khalil Band of the National Conference. Parra unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha polls in May 2024. Another constituency of Pahalgam is witnessing a triangular contest between Altaf Ahmad Wani of the National Conference, Shabir Ahmed Sediqui of the PDP, and Rafi Ahmed Mir of JKAPNI. From Kulgam, CPI (M) leader Mohd Yusuf Tarigami is defending his turf for the fifth time in a row. Tarigami has won all four previous Assembly elections of 1996, 2002, 2008 and 2014. This time he is facing a tough challenge from an Independent candidate Sayar Ahmad Reshi supported by the banned Jammat-e-Islami.

The Kokernag Assembly segment, reserved as an ST category seat, is also witnessing an interesting contest between Zafar Ali Khatana of the National Conference and Haroon Rashid Khatana of the PDP. BJP has also fielded its candidate Roshan Hussain Shah Gojar. Six independent candidates are also in the fray from the reserved seat.