SRINAGAR: Over 2.5 million voters will decide the fate of 239 candidates in the fray for 26 Jammu and Kashmir assembly seats in the second phase of the election to be held in the Union territory on Wednesday.

These assembly constituencies are spread over six districts – three in the Valley and as many in the Jammu division.

“To facilitate smooth and hassle-free electoral participation, the Election Commission of India has established 3,502 polling stations in these segments. There are 1,056 urban polling stations and 2,446 rural polling stations,” an official said.

All polling stations will have webcasting facilities as part of the Election Commission’s efforts to ensure transparency, according to officials.

“To enhance voter participation, 157 special polling stations have been established for the second phase – 26 ‘pink polling stations’ managed by women, 26 polling stations manned by specially abled persons, 26 polling stations manned by youths, 31 border polling stations, 26 green polling stations and 22 unique polling stations,” the official said.

Voting will take place from 7 am to 6 pm.

Key names in the fray for this phase are former chief minister Omar Abdullah, JKPCC president Tariq Hamid Karra and BJP J-K chief Ravinder Raina.

Abdullah is contesting from the Ganderbal and Budgam seats, while Karra is contesting from Central Shalteng. Raina will be trying to retain his Nowshera seat in Rajouri district which he won in the 2014 assembly polls.

The second phase will be watched keenly as jailed separatist leader Sarjan Ahmad Wagay alias Barkati is hoping to repeat Engineer Rashid’s Lok Sabha poll feat against the National Conference leader.

Barkati is contesting from the Beerwah and Ganderbal segments.

Popularly known as Rashid Engineer, Sheikh Abdul Rashid contested the parliamentary polls held earlier this year from Tihar jail and still managed to defeat Abdullah by a margin of more than two lakh votes from the Baramulla constituency.

Other key candidates in this second phase of assembly polls are Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari (Channapora), former ministers Ali Mohammad Sagar (Khanyar), Abdul Rahim Rather (Chrar-i-Sharief), and Choudhary Zulfikar Ali (Budhal) and Syed Mushtaq Bukhari (Surankote).

Choudhary Zulfikar Ali and Syed Mushtaq Bukhari are contesting on BJP tickets this time.

An estimated 61.38 per cent of the electorate cast their ballots in the first phase of polling on September 18. The third phase will go to polls on October 1. The votes will be counted on October 8.

During this phase, 93 candidates are in the fray in Srinagar district, followed by 46 in Budgam district, 34 in Rajouri district, 25 in Poonch district, 21 in Ganderbal district and 20 in Reasi district.

The constituencies in Srinagar district are Hazratbal, Khanyar, Habbakadal, Lal Chowk, Channapora, Zadibal, Central Shalteng and Eidgah.

The segments in Budgam district are Budgam, Beerwah, Khansahib, Chrar-I-Sharief and Chadoora while there are two constituencies in Ganderbal district — Kangan (ST) and Ganderbal.

The seats going to polls in Jammu division are Gulabgarh (ST), Reasi, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi (in Reasi district), Kalakote-Sunderbani, Nowshera, Rajouri (ST) (in Rajouri district), Budhal (ST), Thannamandi (ST), Surankote (ST), Poonch Haveli and Mendhar (ST) (Poonch district).

Press Trust of India