SRINAGAR, Aug 22: As the election commission of India announced the dates of the state assembly elections in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi along with Congress Rajya Sabha MP Mallikarjun Kharge will be holding a meeting with the party workers of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.
Security has been heightened outside the hotel where Rahul Gandhi and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge will be holding a meeting with party workers today.
Arshid Tantary a Congress youth leader said ” As you can see when Rahul Gandhi came to Srinagar yesterday, people were excited from the airport to the hotel. We have a worker’s meeting today. Around 500 workers are meeting him today. everyone wants to vote for the Congress”.
Asif Beigh Congress Youth Gen secretary of Jammu and Kashmir said on the occasion “We were with Rahul Gandhi toll 3 AM, then we started preparing for the event. we are filled with enthusiasm as our leader Rahul Gandhi is here. Rahul Gandhi will spread his ‘Mohabbat ka dukan’ in Jammu and Kashmir and will form ties with secular forces”.
Congress is likely to ally with the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference ahead of the polls. The two parties had contested the Lok Sabha polls in alliance.
On August 18, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) Vice President Omar Abdullah said that his party has started preparing for the Assembly elections.
“Give us some time, we have begun our preparations. On August 20, the notification will be issued for the first phase. Following this, we will announce the names of our candidates and hope for a victory. It would be better if the BJP doesn’t talk about over-confidence. We only said that we were hoping to receive the support of the people and get a chance to form the government. We are not counting the number of seats. The BJP has always counted the number (seats) here,” Omar said.
Omar Abdullah also launched the Party manifesto that includes some huge promises like- restoration of Article 370, 35-A and statehood, redrawing the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 and return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits.
The first guarantee of the NC’s manifesto envisages the restoration of the political and legal status of the Union Territory and said that the party would strive to restore Article 370-35A and statehood prior to August 5, 2019.
The polling in the Union Territory will be held in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, as per the Election Commission of India. The counting of the votes will take place on October 4. These are the first elections to be held in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370.
The election body has directed the enforcement agencies to be impartial and transparent for smooth and fair polling, ensuring a level playing field.
There are a total of 90 assembly constituencies, of which 74 are general, nine are ST, and seven are SC. There are 87.09 lakh total electors, including 44.46 lakh are male, 42.62 lakh are female, 169 are transgender, 82,590 PwDs, 73943 are very senior citizens, 2660 are centenarians, 76092 are service electors, and 3.71 lakh are first-time voters.
Jammu and Kashmir will witness elections after a gap of ten years, as the last assembly election was held in 2014.
The PDP-BJP coalition government fell in June 2018 when the latter withdrew support to the then-Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti. In December of last year, the Supreme Court directed the Centre to conclude the election process by September 30, 2024. (Agencies)
