Phase 3 of Lok Sabha Election 2019 is taking place today. A total of 115 seats are up for grabs across 13 states and 2 union territories. Jammu and Kashmir is one of the 14 states that are voting today, April 23. Jammu and Kashmir is conducting its polls in 5 phases. In the third phase of elections, only Anantnag constituency will go to the polls.
In a rare case, polling in the constituency – Anantnag – will be conducted in three phases. The second phase of polling in Anantnag will take place on Phase 4 of the General Elections 2019 on April 29 and the third phase will be conducted on Phase 5 of the Lok Sabha polls.
There are 6 parliamentary constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir – Baramulla, Jammu, Srinagar, Udhampur, Anantnag and Ladakh.
Anantnag will conduct its polls in three phases as it is a highly-sensitive constituency. The constituency is spread across four districts – Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama. Since militancy in the area is rife, the Election Commission of India reduced the polling duration by two hours in the constituency. Elections will be held in Anantnag from 7am to 4pm, instead of till 6pm, which is the standard voting deadline.
Baramulla and Jammu went to the polls on April 11, followed by Srinagar and Udhampur on April 18. Ladakh will go to the polls on May 6.
Lok Sabha Election 2019: Jammu and Kashmir candidates
The national parties, Congress and BJP, have their presence in the state but the key player is People’s Democratic Party (PDP). PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti is one of the primary candidates in the state, who is contesting from Anantnag. State Congress chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir, BJP’s Soni Yousuf, Hasnain Masoodi of National Conference, and Chaudhry Zaffar Ali of People’s Conference are a few of the candidates fighting for the seat.
Lok Sabha Election 2019: Jammu and Kashmir major parties
While the PDP is the primary party in the state, it has been facing a lot of flak of late. The anti-incumbency is fuelled by PDP’s three-year alliance with the BJP and the manner the 2016 unrest was handled by the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP coalition government.
According to reports, Mehbooba Mufti who has been campaigning in some of the ‘safe pockets’ of the constituency has failed to garner a robust attendance. Her convoy was, reportedly, even pelted with stones. Mufti is now facing a rather uphill task in what used to be the stronghold of PDP.
Congress, BJP, People’s Conference, Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party, Jammu & Kashmir National Panthers Party and National Conference also have their presence in the state.
In Phase 3, all the seats in Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu are going to the polls. The other states that are polling in this phase are: Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, and Assam. (Agencies)
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