#SRINAGAR: In Jammu and Kashmir, all arrangements have been put in place with security being tightened in and around the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of Omar Abdullah as the Chief Minister of J&K tomorrow.

Along with his Council of Ministers, will be administered the oath of office by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at 11:30 AM tomorrow. The Lieutenant Governor extended an official invitation to Omar Abdullah yesterday, marking a pivotal moment for the Union Territory as J&K prepares to have an elected government for the first time in over a decade. Omar, who had staked a claim for government formation last week, met with the Lieutenant Governor on Friday and presented letters of support. President Draupadi Murmu issued a notification ending the President’s rule in J&K and clearing the way for the new government to take charge.

The last time assembly election was held in the erstwhile state in 2014, leading to a PDP-BJP coalition government. However, that government collapsed in June 2018, and J&K was placed under President’s rule. In 2019, the region was bifurcated into two Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh after the abrogation of Article 370, stripping the region of its special status.

The recently held three-phase election concluded with the National Conference-Congress alliance securing 48 out of the 90 assembly seats, with Omar Abdullah’s National Conference taking the lead.

The Congress secured six seats, while the BJP dominated in the Jammu region, winning 29 seats. Senior National Conference leader Nasir Aslam Wani said that a large number of people want to attend the oath taking ceremony and everything will be clear by the evening who will come to attend the oath taking ceremony

#JAMMU: The J&K Assembly election results delivered several surprises as over 30 former ministers lost their seats, with many being defeated by first-time candidates.

A total of 873 candidates contested across 90 assembly constituencies. Of these, 47 seats are in Kashmir and 43 in the Jammu region. The vote counting took place today, with the National Conference securing 42 seats, followed by the BJP with 29, Congress with 6, JKPDP with 3, and the remaining seats claimed by smaller parties and independents.

However, the most significant outcome was the defeat of over 30 former ministers, many of whom were beaten by newcomers. Among the former ministers who lost elections were Abdul Gaffar Sofi, Usman Majeed, Vikar Rasool, Muzaffar Beigh, Lal Singh, Manohar Lal, Chowdhary Zulfikar, Altaf Bukhari, Harsh Dev Singh, Tara Chand, Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen, Ghulam Nabi Lone, Abdul Majeed Paddar, Sartaj Madni, Abdul Majeed Wani, Aijaz Ahmad Khan, Ghulam Hassan Mir, Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan, Aesia Naqash, G M Saroori, Ajay Kumar Sadhotra, Hakeem Yaseen, Sajad Kitchloo, Nasir Aslam Wani, Mohammad Ashraf Mir, Imran Ansari, Mohammad Khalil Bandh, Abdul Gani Vakil, Abdul Rehman Bhat, Jugal Kishore, Taj Mohiuddin, Mehboob Beigh, Mushtaq Bukhari and Basharat Bukahri. Notably, around 15 of these ministers had won the 2014 elections on the PDP ticket.

In this election, however, many either ran as independents or joined other parties such as the Apni Party and Peoples Conference. J&K is now set to have an elected government for the first time in 10 years, following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

The J&K Assembly elections were held in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1. Voter turnout in the first phase was 61.38%, decreasing to 57.31% in the second phase before rising to 69.65% in the final phase. The overall voter turnout stood at 62.78%. In the 2014 Assembly elections, the PDP secured 28 seats while BJP won 25 seats all in Jammu. This was followed by NC 15, Congress 12.

#JAMMU: In Jammu and Kashmir, the women voters have once again outnumbered the men electorates in the phase-III of assembly elections in which a total of 69.69 percentages was recorded on Tuesday October 1.

According to the revised data released by Election Commission of India, for the phase-III of Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, a total of 70.02 per cent women voters cast their ballots while 69.37 per cent male voters turned up at the polling booth earlier this week. A total of 63.88 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the third and final phase of the assembly elections.

In the third phase, the highest voter turnout was recorded in Marh (SC) assembly segment of Jammu district where a total of 81.47% voter turnout was recorded followed by Chhamb assembly segment with 80.34% voter turnout. Out of the 40 assembly constituencies went for polls on October 1, the lowest turnout was recorded in Sopore assembly constituency at 45.32 % followed by 53.90 % in Baramulla segment. Pertinently, the three-phased assembly elections that started on September 18, 2024, culminated in Jammu and Kashmir on October 1.

In the three phases of elections, a total of 90 assembly segments underwent polling on September 18, September 25 and October 01, 2024.

The counting of votes will however take place on October 08, 2024.

#JAMMU: In Jammu and Kashmir, for the first time in the political history five nominated Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) will have a significant role in forming the new government following a decade-long hiatus.

These MLAs, representing Kashmiri displaced persons and those from Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK), will hold full legislative powers and privileges, just like elected representatives. Among the five MLAs, two will be Kashmiri displaced members—one woman and one man—while one will represent the POJK displaced community.

This will be a milestone in terms of representation for these communities, as their inclusion in the legislative assembly has been a longstanding demand. With this new arrangement, the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly will expand to 95 members, including the five nominated ones, increasing the majority threshold to 48 seats to form a government.

The Lieutenant Governor will nominate these members based on the advice of the Home Ministry. This process follows an amendment to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019, which was further revised on July 26, 2023, to introduce these nominations.

Congress has strongly objected to the move of the ruling BJP to get five of its leaders nominated to the Legislative Assembly, from LG prior to the process of Government formation in J&K and termed any such move as undemocratic and against the mandate of people and asked the LG to desist from any such move. Reacting strongly to the media reports in this regard JKPCC has termed any such move as undemocratic, an attempt to defeat the mandate of the people.

JKPCC senior vice president and chief spokesperson, Ravinder Sharma has said that the power to nominate five members to the Legislative Assembly should lie with the new Govt, otherwise, it would be an attempt to defeat the mandate of the people.

He claimed that Congress–NC will get a comfortable majority to form the Government but any such exercise would be contrary to the democratic norms and would be another betrayal with the mandate of the people.

Elaborate arrangements put in place for smooth & hassle-free voting

#JAMMU: In Jammu and Kashmir, the campaigning for third and final phase of assembly elections ended this evening. More than 39.18 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their electoral franchise during the 3rd and last phase of the Assembly Election to be held on 1st October across 40 Assembly Constituencies in 7 districts of the Union Territory.

Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place for smooth, peaceful and incident free polling. The voting will take place from 7 AM to 6 PM. VOICE CAST The political fate of 415 candidates of various political parties and independent who are in the final electoral fray would be decided by more than 39.18 lakh eligible electors in the third and last phase of the assembly elections on October 1.

Out of 40 assembly seats, twenty four seats in Jammu and 16 in North Kashmir, likely to witness an intense face-off between arch rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress in Jammu while in Kashmir, INDI Alliance NC-Congress candidates will face Jammu Kashmir People Conference and Awami It ihad Party.

Some prominent fights for their political survival in this phase which includes former deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, who is Congress candidate for Chamb Constituency and facing four corner battle from BJP’s- Rajeev Sharma and two independent Satish Sharma and Narinder Singh Bhau, Congress working president Raman Bhalla from R S Pura Jammu south constituency, Former Minister and BJP Candidate Sham Lal Sharma who is facing Former Minister and National Conference candidate Ajay Sadhotra from Jammu North, Former Minister and Congress candidate from Basholi Choudary Lal Singh who is facing BJP’s Darsahn Singh, Panther Party leader and Former Minister Harsh Dev Singh fighting his own cousin and Panther Party colleague now BJP candidate Balwant Singh Mankotia from Udhampur’s Chenani assembly constituency. Democratic Progressive Azad Party of Ghulam Nabi Azad also fielded candidates but is fighting as an independent candidate.

The Election Commission of India has setup 5060 Polling stations across 7 districts of Kupwara, Baramulla, Bandipora, Udhampur, Samba, Kathua and Jammu for smooth and hasel free voting by the eligible elwctors. Four election staff, including Presiding Officer will be stationed in every polling station. In total, more than 20 thousand Polling staff has been deployed on duty for 3rd phase election.

A total 39 lakh 18 thousand 220 voters including 20 lakh 09 thousand 033 male, 19 lakh 40 thousand 092 female and 57 third gender voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the third phase of assembly elections. As many as 1.94 lakh youth between the age 18-19 years, along with 35,860 Person with Disabilities (PwDs) and 32,953 elderly voters above the age of 85 are also eligible to exercise their franchise in this phase. 24 special Polling Stations have been established for Migrant Voters of Kashmir Division, which includes 19 Special Polling Stations in Jammu, 4 in Delhi and 1 in Udhampur District.