Sheikh Qayyum
Jammu and Kashmir, November, 25: Polling for first phase of State Assembly Elections in Jammu and Kashmir is underway. 123 candidates are in the fray in this first leg of the five-stage election. 15 segments will go for polling, spread across seven districts of Bandipora and Ganderbal in Kashmir Valley, Kargil and Leh of Ladakh region and Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban of Jammu region.
Nearly 1900 polling stations have been set-up by the election authorities in these 15 constituencies. A total of 10,502,50 voters including 5,49,698 males and 5,00,539 females, besides 13 transgenders are eligible to exercise their right to franchise in the first phase of the polls.
In the previous dispensation eight seats were held by National Conference, PDP had one and the Congress had six. Among the prominent candidates are six ministers—Nazir Ahmad Khan Gurezi (from Gurez), Mohammad Akbar Lone (Sonawari), Mian Altaf (Kangan), Sajad Kichloo (Kishtwar), Abdul Majid Wani (Doda) and Vikar Rasool Wani (Banihal).
The exit polls this time round are very much in favour of PDP and BJP getting more seats in comparison to the National Conference and Congress
