EC to airlift EVMs, poll staff, security men in upper reaches

Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 15: The Election Commission has decided to airlift Electronic Voting Machines, polling staff and security personnel to 26 polling stations in Kishtwar district and prepared a contingency plan for 12 polling stations of Banihal and Bhaderwah for similar airlifting in case of an early snowfall in higher reaches. All these polling stations fall in six Assembly segments of Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar districts.
Meanwhile, nomination papers of 26 candidates, mostly covering candidates of major parties and some Independents, were rejected during scrutiny of documents today for 18 Assembly segments, which will go to polls on December 2. With this, 183 candidates have been left in the fray. November 17 is last date for withdrawal of nominations.
Official sources told the Excelsior that authorities in all three hilly districts of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban have prepared a list of 38 polling stations, which would require airlifting of men and machinery and security personnel due to closure of roads in view of snowfall. The air sorties would be conducted at least three days ahead of the polling day i.e. November 25.
Kishtwar, Inderwal, Bhaderwah, Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar Assembly segments go to polls on November 25.
Sources said authorities have identified 26 polling stations of Warwan and Marwah in Kishtwar Assembly segments, which would require airlifting of EVMs, polling staff, para-military personnel and police. The task would be executed in two days.
In rest of the hilly stations, the polling staff would be sent by road. In a number of polling stations, the staff would have to trek long distance to reach polling stations and, therefore, such polling parties would be deputed in advance so that they reach the venue a day ahead of first phase of polling.
In Bhaderwah Assembly segment of Doda district, authorities have identified five polling stations, which would require airlifting of men and machinery in case of snowfall. However, if the weather behaves, the polling parties would be sent there by road.
In Banihal and Ramban, seven polling stations have been identified, which would require airlifting if there was an early snowfall otherwise the staff would be sent by road.
Sources said adequate deployment has been made for all three districts, which were once militancy infested to ensure peaceful and smooth polling.
Meanwhile, two nomination papers were today rejected for Gulabgarh segment of Reasi district, which will go to polls in second phase on December 2. The candidates whose forms were rejected were Khalid Jehangir and Mohammad Israyil, covering candidates for PDP and BJP respectively, Returning Officer, Ashwani Khajuria said.
Election Commission’s Observer Dinesh Kumar Thakur today also reviewed preparedness for the polling in Gulabgarh segment along with Khajuria and other senior officers.
Nine nomination papers were rejected in Poonch district. In Poonch segment, the nomination papers of Ateeqa Begum (covering candidate for NC), Shamim Ahmad Dar (covering candidate for PDP), Choudhary Riaz Naz (covering candidate for Congress) and Chaman Lal (covering candidate for BJP) were rejected.
In Mendhar constituency, nomination forms of Choudhary Nazir Ahmad (covering candidate for NC), Mohammad Azam Khan (covering candidate for PDP) and Mohammad Azam Neelu (Hindustan Kranti Dal) were rejected while in Surankote, documents of Mohammad Ajaz Khan (covering candidate for BJP) and Mohammad Hamid Khan (covering candidate for PDP) were rejected.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission has decided to monitor online campaign of political parties and their candidates, sources said.
They added that the Election Commission was keeping an eye on the online activities of the candidates and the parties. The District Election Officers (DEOs) have set up district-level media monitoring cells for the purpose.
Sources said the candidates are required to submit the details of their online presence in the nomination forms and the district-level media monitoring committees are keeping an eye on the online activities apart from their activities on mainstream print and electronic media.
The EC has also established an Expenditure Monitoring cell in Jammu where more than 100 staffers would be keeping a round- the-clock tab on the expenditure incurred by the parties and their candidates for campaigning through the use of various media.
With EC maintaining a strict oversight, the political parties and their candidates are treading cautiously on social media.
In Gulabgarh Assembly constituency, the nomination papers of 8 candidates, Bashir-Ud-Din (JKNPP), Pardeep Singh (BJP), Jawahar  Singh (BSP), Shafiq-Ur-Rehman (PDP), Abdul Gani Malik (NC), Mumtaz Ahmed (INC), Shaber Ahmed (Hindustan Janta Party) and Mohd Ayub (Independent) were cleared.
In Reasi segment, the nomination papers of 14 candidates, Om Parkash (CPI-M), Ajay Nanda (BJP), Balwan Singh (JKNPP), Jugal Kishore (Congress), Jagjiwan Lal (NC), Karan Singh (BSP) and 8 Independent candidates  Anil Kumar, Baldev Raj Sharma, Bansi Lal, Rano Devi, Saraf Singh, Karnail Singh, Kuldeep  Singh and Meenakshi Sharma were cleared.
In Gool-Arnas constituency, the nomination papers of 10 candidates, Ajaz Ahmed Khan (Congress), Imtiyaz Ahmed Shan (PDP), Shiban (BSP), Shakeel Ahmed (JKNPP), Shamshad Bano (NC), Kuldeep Raj Dubey (BJP) and 4 Independent candidates Arjun Singh, Romail Singh, Abdul Rehman and Gulzar Ahmed Wani were cleared.
In Udhampur Assembly seat, the nomination papers of 10 candidates Ashok Kumar Gupta (INC), Balwant Singh Mankotia (JKNPP),  Pawan Khajuria (BJP), S. Ranjit Singh (BSP), Sukhdev Sharma (PDP), Sunil Verma (NC), Dharam Paul (Hindustan Janta Party), Anil Khajuria, Pawan Kumar Gupta (Independent) and Soma (Independent) were cleared.
In Chenani (SC) segment, the nomination papers of 7 candidates Dhani Ram Atri (JKNPP), Dina Nath (BJP), Sansar Chand (NC), Krishan Chander (INC), Mohinder Kumar (BSP), Hans Raj (PDP) and Pushpa Devi (SP) were cleared.
In Ramnagar seat, the nomination papers of 7 candidates Raj Kapoor (NC), Ranbir Singh Pathania (BJP), Prof. Sukham Chand (BSP), Vinod Kumar Sharma (INC), Harshdev Singh (JKNPP), Sanju Kumar (Independent) and Hadayat Ullah (Independent) were cleared.
In Surankote segment, the nomination papers of 10 candidates, Mohd Akram (INC), Mohd Taj Khan (BJP), Naseer-Ul-Islam Ahmed (BSP), Ashfaq Rana (JKNPP), Iqbal Hussain Shah (PDP), Mushtaq Ahmed Shah (JK-NC),  Javid Ahmed (All India Forward Bloc), Ayaz Ahmed Mughal (Independent) and Mohd Sadiq Qureshi (Independent) were cleared.
In Mendhar Assembly constituency, the nomination papers of 13 candidates, Javed Ahmed Rana (NC), Zulfqar Hussain Khan (BJP), Mohd Shafeeq Khan (BSP), Mohd Tariq Khan (JKNPP), Mohd Mahroof Khan (PDP), Murtaza Ahmed Khan (INC), Mushtaq Ahmed (Pir Panjal Awami Party), Abdul Majeed Chowan,   (Independent), Mohd Sharief Khan (Independent), Mohammed Azim Khan (Independent), Nisar Ahmed Khan (Nil), Nisar Hussain Shah (Independent) and Yaar Mohammad Khan (Independent) were cleared.
In Poonch-Haveli, the nomination papers of 11  candidates, Ashfaq Ahmed (BSP),  Ajaz Ahmed Jan (NC), Ch Bashir Ahmed Naz (INC), Pardeep Sharma (BJP), Shah Mohd Tantray (PDP), Mohd Rashid (JKNPP), Mohd Younis (JK Pir Panjal Awami Party), Ameer Hussain Shah (Independent), Javid Iqbal Reshi (Independent),  Chaudhary Abdul Ghani (Independent) and Mohd Kabir Qureshi (Independent) were cleared.
In Karnah Assembly constituency, papers of 8 candidates Ali Asgar Khan (INC), Ashfaq-Ur-Rehman (BJP), Jahangir Khan (JKNPP), Javid Ahmad Mirchal (PDP) Covering Candidate, Kafil-Ur-Rehman (NC), Raja Manzoor Ahmad (PDP), Aijaz Ahmad Badhana (All J&K Kissan Mazdoor Party) and Mohd Saleem Mir (J&KPC) were cleared.
In Kupwara, the nomination papers of 12 candidates Sardar Khan (BSP), Saifullah Khan (NCP), Ab Rehman Lone (BJP), Gh Rasool Malik (INC), Mir Saifullah (NC), Mir Mohd Fayaz (PDP), Wali Mohd Khan (JKNPP), Adv. Bashir Ahmad Dar (JKPC), Gh Hassan Sheikh, Kissan Mazdoor Party and 3 Independent candidates Javid Ahmad Wani, Adv. Mohd Amin Peer and Mustaq Ahmad Sheikh were cleared.
In Lolab, the nomination papers of 9 candidates, Gh. Ahmad Malik (JKNPP), Ab Haq Khan (PDP), Gh. Nabi Shah (BSP), Qaiser Jamsheed Lone(NC), Ab. Rasheed Zargar (BJP), Haji Farooq Ahmad Mir (INC), Ab. Rehman Wani (JKPC), Mohd Sultan Magray (Kisan Mazdoor Party(Ind), and Suraya Bano (RPI) were cleared.
In Handwara Assembly constituency, the nomination papers of 12 candidates Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan (NC), Sajad Ahmad Pir (BSP),  Mohd Abdullah Bhat (NPP), Ghulam Mohi-Ul-Din Sofi (PDP), Mohd Yaseen Bhat (INC), Sajad Gani Lone (J&KPC), Gh. Qadir Mircha (All J&K Kissan Mazdoor Party) Ajaz Ahmad Sofi (AIP), Haneefa Begum (JKNPPF), Abdul Rahman Tantry (Independent), Anaytullah Lohar, (Independent) and Hilal Ahmad Tantray (Independent) were cleared.
In Langate Assembly constituency, the nomination papers of 12 candidates Ab Ahad Khan (BSP), Bashir Ahmad Wani (INC), Javid Ahmad Najar (JKNPP), Mohd Maqbool War (BJP), Gh Nabi Ganie (Pandithpori) (PDP), Wali Mohd Bhat, (NC), Er.Ab Rashid Sheikh (Independent), Advocate Mohd Abdullah Mir (J&KPC), Irshad Hussain Ganie (Independent), Haji Mohd Akbar Ganai (Independent), Mohd Ramzan Malla (Independent) and Mudasir Ahmad Tantray (Independent) were cleared.
In Noorabad seat, the nomination papers of 16 candidates, which include Abdur Rehman Magray (BSP), Manzoor Ahmad Zargar (INC), Mushtaq Ah Malik (BJP), Abdul Majeed Padder (PDP), Mushtaq Ahmad (JKNPP), Sakina Itoo (NC), Ab Rashid Bhat (Independent), Akther Hussain Shah (Independent), Bashir Ahmad Bhat (Independent), Bilal Ahmad Bhat, (Independent), Gulzar Ah Mir (Independent), Mehraj-ud-Din Dar (Independent), Mohd Amin Teli (Independent), Mushtaq Ahmad Dar (Independent),  Mushtaq Ahmad Dole (Independent) and Tawseef Ahmad Dar (Independent) were cleared.
In Kulgam Assembly constituency, the nomination papers of 8 candidates Peer Nazim-ud-Din (INC), Riyaz Ahmad Shah (BSP), Imran Nabi Dar (NC), Ghulam Hassan Zargar (BJP), Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami (CPI-M), Nazir Ahmad Laway (PDP), Towseef Ahmad Shah (Independent) and Rashida Mir (Independent) were cleared.
In Humshali Bugh Assembly seat, the nomination papers of 8 candidates Bashir Ahmad Bhat (BSP), Ab. Gaffar Sofi (PDP), Ab. Majeed Bhat (NC), Anayatullah Rather (INC), Ghulam Nabi Dar (BJP), Mohammad Ayoub Sheikh (NPP), Mohd. Amin Bhat (SWP) and Abdul Bary Naik (Independent) were cleared.
In Devsar Assembly seat, the nomination papers of 8 candidates Peerzada Gulam Ahmad (NC), Fayaz Ahmad Bhat (BJP), Mohammad Amin Bhat (INC), Mohammad Sartaj Madni (PDP), Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat (BSP), Asif Jeelani (AIFB), Mudasir Rashid Mir (Independent) and Nisar Ahmad Hajam were cleared.

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