Jammu, Aug 31: The stage is set for a heated battle in the first phase of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, with polling scheduled for 16 constituencies across four southern districts on September 18th. A total of 219 candidates will be vying for voters’ support in what is shaping up to be multi-pronged races in most seats.
The delimitation of Assembly seats last year has added new layers of complexity to these contests. The highest number of 14 candidates will be competing in Pampore, while Srigufwara-Bijbehara sees the lowest with 3. Some notable candidates in the fray are Ghulam Ahmed Mir from Congress, PDP’s Iltija Mufti, CPIM’s Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami, Waheed Para from PDP and National Conference leaders Hasnain Masood and Sakeena Itoo. BJP’s Sofi Youusf and former Jamaat-e-Islam member Talat Majeed are also testing the electoral waters.
Observers indicate that most races will be multi-cornered given the altered political dynamics post-delimitation. The recently forged NC-Congress alliance, which will contest over 80% of seats, faces challenges from PDP as well as independents. While the tie-up seems promising on paper, its impact will depend on synergizing efforts between the two main parties on the ground.
It remains to be seen if the new political configurations will translate into clear mandates or more fractured outcomes. With over two weeks to go until polling day, campaigning is set to intensify across these 16 southern constituencies that will witness the first electoral test in Jammu and Kashmir in over a decade.
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