JAMMU/SRINAGAR: Counting of votes began on Tuesday morning for 90 Assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, the final lap of an electoral exercise that will give the union territory its first elected government since 2019 when Article 370 was abrogated.

These are also the first assembly elections in J-K since 2014.

The Congress-National Conference alliance, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are the main parties in the fray in the keenly watched assembly election that comes five years after the erstwhile state was bifurcated into the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

The counting of votes commenced at 8 am simultaneously amid a three-tier security cover at 28 counting centres set up for 90 assembly constituencies in all the 20 districts, election officials said.

J&K Chief Electoral officer P K Pole said adequate checkpoints have been set up within a 100-meter perimeter of each counting centre and CCTV cameras have been installed in all strong rooms where the EVMs are stored to closely monitor all activities.

“Unauthorised individuals will be restricted from entering these areas and CCTV cameras have been installed at the main entrance and throughout the entire premises of the counting centres to ensure a comprehensive monitoring,” he said.

Pole said postal ballots will be counted first, followed by the counting of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) half an later. Accurate information on each round of counting will be uploaded in a timely manner.

Pole said two counting centres each have been set up for Kupwara, Samba, Jammu, Udhampur and Reasi districts, one each for Srinagar, Ganderbal, Budgam, Baramulla, Bandipora, Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama, Shopian, Rajouri, Poonch, Kathua, Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban districts while three counting centres have been set up for migrants.

To monitor the counting process, various counting observers have also been appointed by Election Commission, he said adding only authorized individuals, officials, or staff will be permitted inside and around the counting centres and the public and political party representatives are requested not to crowd the counting centres and check the results at home.

Reader correspondent