Srinagar: In the first parliamentary polls since the abrogation of Article 370, nearly 17.48 lakh people in Kashmir’s Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency will on Monday decide the fate of 24 candidates trying their luck in the seat.
Supported by the India bloc, the National Conference has fielded influential Shia leader and former minister Aga Ruhullah Mehdi while the People’s Democratic Party has named its youth president Waheed ur Rehman Parra as the candidate.
Even though the Srinagar seat is expected to witness a virtually head-on contest between Mehdi and Parra, Apni Party’s Mohammad Ashraf Mir and DPAP’s Amir Ahmad Bhat are also in the fray along with 20 others, including two women.
Whoever emerges victorious, will be going to Parliament for the first time.
The voter turnout in the redrawn Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, following the delimitation exercise in Jammu and Kashmir in 2022, will be keenly watched as most of the areas under the seat had previously witnessed low polling percentages due to boycott calls given by the separatists.
To encourage people to exercise their franchise, district election officers in the constituency organised various outreach programmes, used audio, visual and print media and also held street plays and sports events.
Officials said all arrangements have been put in place for Monday’s polling.
“A total of 17,47,810 voters have been enrolled in phase IV, including 8,75,938 men, 8,71,808 women and 64 third-gender voters. There are around 11,682 persons with disability and 705 voters above the age of 100 years,” they said.
As many as 2,135 polling stations have been set up across Srinagar, Ganderbal, Pulwama and parts of Budgam and Shopian districts where polling will be held. Twenty-six special polling stations have been set up for migrant voters of Kashmir Division with 21 in Jammu, four in Delhi and one in Udhampur District.
“In total, more than 8,500 polling staff, including reserve staff, will be deployed on duty on polling day. Voting will take place from 7 am to 6 pm,” an official said.
They said 20 polling booths will be managed entirely by women, 18 by specially-abled persons and 17 by youths. Also, there will be 21 green polling stations to spread messages about environmental concerns.
All the polling stations will have CCTV cameras for live webcasting to control rooms set up at the districts and the CEO’s office.
“There are a few polling stations which fall in communication shadow areas. Suitable alternative arrangements by providing satellite phones, wireless sets and special runners have been put in place around those polling stations,” an official said.
Election parties dispatched for polling stations across Srinagar PC
The election parties were dispatched Sunday for the polling stations established for the Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency, an official press release informed.
It said the polling parties, along with EVMS, were sent to all the 18 centres set up across five districts of Srinagar, Shopian, Pulwama, Budgam, and Ganderbal going to polls in the fourth phase of ongoing Lok Sabha polls Monday (May 13).
The polling for the fourth phase will be held across 2,135 polling stations in 1,323 locations. Around 2700 vehicles have been deployed by the administration for the smooth conduct of these elections.
Speaking on the welfare provisions in place for the polling parties, the Chief Election Officer, Pandurang K Pole said “the district administrations have been directed to ensure all requisite arrangements in place for the polling parties besides special Nodal officers have been appointed across the districts to take care of welfare of these election officials.”
The polling in the Srinagar PC shall be held from 7 am to 6 pm and shall continue till the last voter cast his/her ballot.
A total of 17,47,810 voters are eligible to cast their vote. All the polling stations in the parliamentary constituency will have CCTV type cameras for live webcasting. The polling shall be viewed live from the district headquarters as well as from the Central Command Centers established at Jammu and Srinagar.
The Chief Electoral Officer has appealed to the eligible electorates to participate in the “festival of democracy” by utilizing their right to vote for which the election authorities and the local administrations have put in place all necessary arrangements.
Multi-layered security put across Srinagar LS constituency ahead of polling
A “foolproof” security arrangement has been put in place for the polling in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency on Monday, a senior police officer said.
In the first parliamentary polls since the abrogation of Article 370, nearly 17.48 lakh people in Kashmir’s Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency will decide the fate of the 24 candidates trying their luck in the seat.
The voter turnout in the redrawn Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, following the delimitation exercise in Jammu and Kashmir in 2022, will be keenly watched as most of the areas under the seat had previously witnessed low polling percentages due to boycott calls given by the separatists.
“We have made foolproof security arrangements as per the guidelines of the Election Commission in Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency where polling will be held tomorrow,” Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir Zone, V K Birdi said.
He said arrangements have been made to provide a safe and secure environment so that the electorate can exercise their franchise in large numbers.
A multi-layer security blanket has been thrown around the polling stations as well as distribution centres and strong rooms across the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency which includes entire districts of Srinagar, Ganderbal, Pulwama and parts of Budgam and Shopian districts.
As many as 2,135 polling stations have been set up across Srinagar, Ganderbal, Pulwama and parts of Budgam and Shopian districts where polling will be held. Twenty-six special polling stations have been set up for migrant voters of Kashmir Division with 21 in Jammu, four in Delhi and one in Udhampur District.
“In total, more than 8,500 polling staff, including reserve staff, will be deployed on duty on polling day. Voting will take place from 7 am to 6 pm,” an official said.
All the polling stations will have CCTV cameras for live webcasting to control rooms set up at the districts and the CEO’s office.
“There are a few polling stations which fall in communication shadow areas. Suitable alternative arrangements by providing satellite phones, wireless sets and special runners have been put in place around those polling stations,” an official said.
