Srinagar/Jammu, October 1 (IANS). Voting started on Tuesday for 40 assembly seats of Jammu and Kashmir. Elections are being conducted at 5,060 polling stations. People were seen standing in long queues outside the polling stations, waiting for their turn.
Queues of men started forming at polling stations in Pattan, Sangrama, Kreri, Tangmarg, Kunjar, Uri town and other places in the valley, while queues of men in traditional Dogri attire started forming at polling stations in Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, RS Pura and other polling stations in Jammu division. Voters came out in a festive mood.
Tremendous enthusiasm was seen among the voters in the areas adjacent to the international border in Samba, Kathua and Jammu districts.
Security forces personnel are deployed at polling stations. Special arrangements have been made for sick and disabled voters.
In the third and final phase of Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, 39.18 lakh voters across 40 assembly constituencies will decide the political fate of 415 candidates.
Voting is being held for 40 assembly constituencies in Jammu, Samba, Kathua and Udhampur districts of Jammu division and Baramulla and Kupwara districts of the valley.
There are 11 assembly constituencies in Jammu district, three in Samba, six in Kathua and four in Udhampur, while there are 16 constituencies in Baramulla and Kupwara districts for which voting is currently underway.
The Election Commission has created 5,030 polling stations for the third phase of voting.
Special polling stations have been created for Kashmiri migrant voters. Of these, 11 are in Jammu, four in Delhi and one in Udhampur district.
Police officials said that adequate number of security personnel of CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police have been deployed to ensure proper conduct of voting on Tuesday.
Security arrangements are tight around the polling stations. The security work for polling staff and general public for movement on roads and highways was done on Monday. Security forces were deployed early on Tuesday to ensure security for sector officials, polling observers, candidates and other officials associated with the polling process.
Voting, which started at 7 am, will end at 6 pm while counting of votes will take place on October 8.
–IANS
kr/
