Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Dec 8: The fate of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and 137 candidates is being sealed in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) tomorrow in the third phase of polling in 16 Assembly constituencies of Baramulla, Budgam and Pulwama districts where security has been put on high alert after recent militant strikes across Kashmir valley aimed at disruption of polls.
Security forces have erected barricades across these three districts to prevent militants from disrupting the polls. Additional companies of the para-military security forces have been deployed across these districts for ensuring violence free polls. Army is also conducting patrols for providing confidence to the voters.
Twenty six people, including 11 security personnel, nine militants were killed during the campaigning for third phase of polls. More than 420 companies of security forces and State Police personnel have been deployed to ensure free, fair and peaceful polls.
The constituencies going to polls are Uri, Rafiabad, Sopore, Sangrama, Baramulla, Gulmarg and Pattan in Baramulla district, Chadoora, Badgam, Beerwah, Khansahib and Charar-e-Sharief in Badgam district and Tral, Pampore, Pulwama and Rajpora in Pulwama district.
Omar, who chose to contest from Beerwah Assembly segment in Budgam district instead of his family bastion of Ganderbal, will be hoping that some of the recent steps taken by his Government for the area will help him sail through from a constituency which was won by PDP candidates in the last two elections.
Omar’s bid for a second term in the Assembly will face a stiff challenge from incumbent MLA and PDP leader Mohammad Shafi Wani and Congress contender Nazir Ahmad Khan, whose father Sarfaraz Khan had won from Beerwah in 2002 elections as a PDP candidate.
In Charar-e-Sharief there is a bilateral contest between Rather, and PDP’s Ghulam Nabi Lone, who was defeated by Finance Minister in last elections by a margin of 6,375 votes.
In Budgam, NC leader, Aga Ruhulla, is pitted against, PDP’s Muntazir Mohidin and Congress party’s Ghulam Hassan Geelani.
In Khansahib, the contest is between People’s Democratic Front (PDF) Chairman, Hakeem Yaseen and PDP’s Saifudin Bhat.
In Chadoora there is contest between sitting PDP MLA, Javed Mustafa Mir and NC candidate Ali Mohammad Dar.
In Uri, Health Minister Taj Mohidin is locked in a triangular contest with NC candidate Mohammad Shafi Uri and PDP candidate Raja Aijaz.
In Rafiabad, the contest is between the NC candidate and former Minister, Javed Dar, PDP’s Yawar Mir and Congress party’s Abdul Gani Vakil.
In Baramulla PDP MP, Muzafar Beigh’s nephew, Javed Beg is pitted against Congress party’s Salman Soz.
The Pattan Assembly constituency will witness a triangular contest between PDP’s Imran Ansari, NC candidate, Aga Mehmood, and NC rebel and independent candidate, Abdul Rashid Shaheen.
Agriculture Minister, Mir, who is also the chairman of Democratic Party Nationalist (DPN), will face a keen contest from NC Additional General Secretary, Mustafa Kamaal, and PDP’s Mohammad Abbas Wani in Gulmarg constituency.
In Sopore constituency, NC sitting MLA Mohammad Ashraf Gania is facing former MLA of Congress Abdul Rashid Dar.
In Sangrama constituency PDP MLA Basharat Bukhari is facing Shoib Lone of Congress.
In Tral there is bilateral contest between PDP’s sitting MLA, Mushtaq Ahmad Shah and NC’s Mohammad Ashraf Bhat. In last elections, Shah had won with a huge margin of 3,807 votes from the constituency.
In Pampore, the fight is between PDP’s Zahoor Ahmad Mir and NC’s Yawar Masoodi.
In Pulwama the contest is between PDP’s Khalil Bandh and NC’s Ghulam Nabi Ratanpuri.
From Rajpora, former Jammu and Kashmir Bank Chairman and PDP candidate Haseeb Drabu is pitted against NC’s Ghulam Mohidin Mir. The sitting MLA from Rajpora, Syed Bashir Ahmad Shah, who was denied ticket by PDP has contested as independent candidate from the constituency.
Around 13,69,102 voters, including 6,51,245 women voters are registered in 1781 polling booths, majority of them sensitive and hyper sensitive. There are also 19575 migrant voters in these 16 constituencies.
The highest number of 15 candidates are in the fray in Sopore followed by Rafiabad and Pattan 12 each, Baramulla 11 candidates, Sangrama and Pulwama 10 each, Gulmarg, Charar-e-Sharief and Rajpora 8 each, Chadoora, Badgam and Tral 7 each, Beerwah, Khansahib and Pampore six each and lowest five in Uri.
The highest number of 825 polling stations were set up in Baramulla for 5,91,875 voters, followed by 547 polling booths for 4,45,208 voters in Badgam and Pulwama 409 polling stations for 3,32,019 votes in Pulwama district.
Baramulla constituency has highest number of 2567 migrant voters followed by Gulmarg 2513 voters, Rajpora 2371 voters, Tral 1445 votes, Pulwama 1192 votes, Pampore 1041 voters, Budgam 1012 voters, Chrar-e-Sharief 892 voters, Rafiabad 837 voters, Sangrama 807 voters, Beerwah 699 voters, Chadoora 692 voters, Pattan 610, Khansahib 602 voters, and Uri 333 voters. The authorities have made arrangements at Udhampur, Jammu and Delhi for migrant voters.
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