Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 24: In the final phase of polling in Jammu and Kashmir, the Anantnag-Rajouri Parliamentary constituency is voting tomorrow and the poll parties were dispatched to the respective Polling Stations amid high security as there were around half dozen militancy related incidents during the campaigning.
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The fate of 20 candidates including People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference leader Mian Altaf Ahmad will be decided by 18.36 lakh voters in the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency. The electorate include 9,33,647 male voters, 9,02,902 female voters, 27 third-gender voters, approximately 17,967 persons with disabilities, and 540 centenarians.
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A total of 2,338 Polling Stations have been established across the sprawling Anantnag-Rajouri constituency. Each station will be manned by four election personnel, including the Presiding Officer, with more than 9,000 polling staff, including reserves, mobilized for duty.
The constituency spans five districts of Kulgam, Anantnag, Poonch, Shopian (Zainapora), and Rajouri.
Given the strategic importance of the Anantnag-Rajouri seat, extensive security measures have been taken to ensure a smooth electoral process. This is the constituency which has seen several major militancy related incidents during last two years.
Last week militants carried out two back-to-back attacks in south Kashmir in which a former Sarpanch associated with the BJP was shot dead and a tourist couple was wounded in a separate attack.
While the militant activities have reached their lowest ebb in Kashmir after August 5, 2019 – the day when J&K’s special status was abrogated – the militancy spilled over to the Pir Panjal districts of the Poonch-Rajouri.
The last few years have witnessed a series of deadly attacks on the Army in the twin districts of Poonch-Rajouri that left several soldiers dead.
Three weeks back, on May 4, militants killed an IAF official and injured four others in a brazen attack in Poonch before melting into the forests.
The authorities have made elaborate security arrangements for the polls.
The constituency was originally going to polls on May 7 but was deferred by the Election Commission of India at the request of BJP and other parties, to May 25.
Polling parties for all Polling Stations in Rajouri and Poonch districts were dispatched today along with EVMs. Security personnel have already been deployed at the Polling Stations to sensitize the booths and surrounding areas.
With 19 border Polling Stations along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri and Poonch, a contingency plan has been worked out to deal with cross-border shelling though chances are negligible given the ongoing ceasefire between India and Pakistan that came into effect in February 2021.
Some Polling Stations fall in communication-shadow areas and alternative arrangements have been put in place in such areas with satellite phones, wireless sets and special runners being provided in case of a crisis.
In 2019, the Anantnag constituency had a turnout of just 9.8 per cent. This time, however, the authorities are expecting good turnout in South Kashmir also on the lines of Srinagar and Baramulla Lok Sabha seats.
However, the Poonch and Rajouri regions, known for high voter turnouts, have also seen hectic campaigning with all parties getting their top leaders to campaign.
Authorities had received more than 2,200 applications from the contesting candidates and political parties, seeking permission for various electioneering activities.
While 1,920 applications for rallies, roadshows and meetings were approved, 303 pleas were rejected on various grounds.
Polling will be held from 7 am to 6 pm. Before that, there will be a mock poll in the presence of polling agents. Voting will continue after 6 pm if voters are found standing in queues outside polling booths.
Seventeen polling booths (Pink Polling Stations) will be managed by women, 15 by differently-abled people and eight by youngsters. Also, there will be 15 ‘green’ Polling Stations to spread the message about environment awareness.
All the Polling Stations in Anantnag-Rajouri will have CCTV cameras for live webcasting to the control rooms set up at the district and CEO office. The cameras will be positioned in such a way so that they do not violate the secrecy of vote.
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