78 lakh voters set to elect 6 candidates in a tense J&K poll

Jammu, Apr 09: The fate of several candidates contesting the elections in Jammu and Kashmir would be decided by 78 lakh voters of which 38 lakh are women.

J&K would elect six candidates, who will be facing the polls in five phases starting from Thursday.

There are 4.25 lakh new voters of which 159 are transgenders. Further there are 47,216 people with disabilities, while 1,433 are VIP voters. Among the new voters inducted into the voters list, over 2.60 lakh are in the age group of 18 and 21.

The ten districts of Kashmir have 39,99,959 voters, which includes 19,36,220 women. There are 92 transgenders in the ten districts.

The Jammu region with the same number of districts have 36,71,197 voters. The list comprises 17,53,939 when and 63 transgenders. The Ladakh region comprising Leh and Kargil districts have 1,71,819 voters. This region polls in the last phase and has 85,064 women voters and three transgenders.

The biggest challenge for the Election Commission is Baramulla parliamentary constituency. Polling in this constituency located in North Kashmir will be held in five phases starting April 11. This constituency has the highest number of voters-20,05,730.

There are 9,64,834 women and 20 transgenders.

The highest number of candidates are in the Jammu Lok Sabha seat. This seat covers the districts of Jammu, Samba, Poonch and Rajouri. Jugal Kishore of the BJP is contesting this seat and it may be recalled that he had won the elections here in 2014.

In Jammu, the Congress candidate Raman Bhalla is contesting with the support of the National Conference. The PDP has not fielded any candidate to ensure that the secular votes are not split.