Srinagar, Sep 16 (UNI) High-decibel campaigning came to an end today in 24 Assembly constituencies spread across 7 districts of Jammu and Kashmir which will go to the polls a day after, marking an electoral exercise after a long gap of 10 years.
A total of 23.27 lakh voters are eligible to vote to decide the electoral fate of 219 candidates in this phase of the elections, which are being held for the first time since the revocation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir and converting the State into a Union Territory in August 2019.

As many as 3276 polling stations have been set up across the 24 constituencies of Pampore, Tral, Pulwama, Rajpora, Zainapora, Shopian, DH Pora, Kulgam, Devsar, Dooru, Kokernag (ST), Anantnag West, Anantnag, Srigufwara-Bijbehara, Shangus-Anantnag East, Pahalgam, Inderwal, Kishtwar, Padder-Nagseni, Bhaderwah, Doda, Doda West, Ramban and Banihal.

These elections are being contested with utmost vigour by the national parties -- the BJP and the Congress -- besides the regional parties like National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), AIP headed by Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid, who has been released on bail for these polls, DPAP, Apni Party and Peoples Conference.


A number of Independents, including members of banned Jamait-e-Islami are also in the fray to test their political fortunes.

The campaigning saw rallies being addressed by national leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.

These rallies were besides the umpteen rallies and other election-related programmes held by the leaders of NC, PDP, AIP, DPAP, Apni Party and Peoples Conference.

With a sharp dip in violence and no call for poll boycott in the Kashmir Valley, the electioneering saw enthusiastic and widespread participation by the common people.

The campaigning also marked door-to-door canvassing, evening meetings and road shows by the candidates.

The women were also seen participating in good numbers in election rallies.
During the poll campaign, the political parties focused on their respective party agendas and tried to woo voters.

PM Modi in his address during the election rally in Doda said “terrorism is its last phase” and the three families- Abdullah’s, Mufti’s and Gandhi’s- were responsible for “destroying” Jammu and Kashmir. He also said the abrogation of Article 370 has brought a new era of peace and rapid economic growth.

The regional parties National Conference and Peoples Democratic party continued their campaign against the BJP and its decision of scrapping Article 370. Of late, the two parties also started hitting out at Member of Parliament Abdul Rashid Sheikh, popularly known as Engineer Rashid and blamed him for being BJP proxy.
On the last day of campaigning, two former chief ministers, Omar Abdullah, the vice president of the NC, and Mehbooba Mufti, president of the PDP, made their final appeals to voters.

On Monday, Omar Abdullah intensified his attacks on Engineer Rashid, who leads the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP). Just two days before the first phase of polls, the AIP formed a “strategic” alliance with the banned Jamaat-e-Islami, prompting Omar to accuse the two parties of taking “orders” from “external forces and following their agenda."

NC Vice President Abdullah said that the party had run a strong campaign for the first phase and was optimistic about their chances.

"People’s participation in NC events was high, and we are hopeful that a good portion of the votes will go to our candidates, leading to victory," he said on Monday.


During her campaign, Mehbooba Mufti also criticized MP Engineer Rashid, accusing him of being a government proxy with the goal of dividing the Kashmiri vote.


Mufti has also said that her party would be king maker in the next government .


Rashid, who had been imprisoned in Tihar Jail since 2019 on a terror funding case, was granted interim bail by a Delhi court to campaign for the Assembly polls. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, riding on a emotional campaign jailed Rashid won the polls defeating Omar Abdullah, by a margin of 2 lakh votes.

During his poll campaign days Engineer Rashid has repeatedly denied being a BJP proxy. His presence has certainly added a new dynamic to the election in Kashmir. A recent rally in Tral, once a militancy hotbed, highlighted the challenges regional parties may face in the upcoming polls.


The Congress too made appeal to voters to reject the BJP and focused on restoring the Statehood while remaining silent on Article 370.

The senior BJP leader Ram Madhav also campaigned for his party in the first phase in Kashmir. On Monday, Madhav expressed confidence that the BJP would form the next government in J&K.

With the conclusion of the campaign, high-level security arrangements have been put in place across the districts ahead of the polls.
(UNI) MJR AKK CS2045