J&K Assembly elections: Voting begins amid tight security, first polls since Article 370 Abrogation

Polling for the first phase of the J&K assembly elections commenced on September 18, with stringent security measures in place. Voting started at 7 am and will continue until 6 pm, as mandated by the Election Commission of India. A total of 24 assembly constituencies are participating in this phase, comprising 16 seats from the Kashmir region and 8 from Jammu. Initially, 486 candidates filed their nominations for 40 constituencies by the deadline of September 12. Following scrutiny on September 13, 449 nominations were validated. After the withdrawal of 34 candidates, 415 contenders remain for this phase of the election. Overall, 873 candidates are vying for 90 assembly seats across three phases. In addition to the 219 candidates for the first phase, there are 239 candidates for 26 seats in the second phase, and 415 candidates for 40 seats in the final phase. The second and third phases of polling are scheduled for September 25 and October 1, respectively. This election cycle marks a significant step in the democratic process for the region, attracting considerable attention from both local and national observers.