Safe vote: 125 polling stations to be relocated along Indo-Pakistan border

Jammu, Oct 31: Fearing disturbances from across the Indo-Pak border, Jammu and Kashmir government will relocate 125 polling stations along the borderline in Jammu district to safer places to ensure border dwellers vote freely.

"As many as 125 polling stations will be relocated along International Border (IB) to safer places in Jammu district", District Electoral Officer (DEO), Jammu, Ajeet Kumar Sahu told PTI here, Oct 31.

He said there is apprehension of disturbances at 150 polling stations along IB from across the border. Around ten people lost their lives and over 90 others suffered injuries in Pakistan's shelling and firing on the small settlements alongside IB in Jammu, Samba and Kathua in the first fortnight of October this year.

As a result, over 32,000 people living along the IB were driven out of the fear caused by Pakistan shelling and firing and were put in safe shelters by the state government.

The contingency plan has been put in place for ensuring free and fair polling by border dwellers in a peaceful and conducive environment in Jammu, Sahu said.

Even for rest of the polling stations along IB, there are alternative polling stations identified for polling in case of exigency, he said. Over 10 lakh voters are registered for exercising right of franchise to choose their representative to 11 seats of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly at 1,225 polling stations in Jammu district.

The five phase Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir would see polling on November 25 and December 2, 9, 14 and 20. State Chief Electoral Officer had on October 28 issued the notification for the first phase of Assembly elections in the state covering 15 constituencies including two constituencies of Ramban and Banihal in Ramban district on November 25.

Election Commission had on October 25 decided to go ahead with Assembly polls in the flood-devastated state.

The 11 segments of Jammu district will go to polls along with 9 others on December 20 in the 5th and last phase of polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

PTI