Many firsts in tomorrow’s poll

Amit Khajuria

Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 21

A unique election is set to unfold in the Anantnag parliamentary constituency in south Kashmir on Tuesday with many firsts.

This is the only constituency in the country that will have three-phased polls, beginning with six Assembly segments of Anantnag, one of the four districts that will go to polls on Tuesday with the reduced voting time of nine hours from 7 am to 4 pm instead of 11 hours in the rest of the parliamentary constituencies.

It speaks of the security concerns that have spurred extraordinary arrangements to keep the polls free of any violence.

The Anantnag district is going to polls first in the three-phased schedule and is spread over six Assembly segments comprising Anantnag, Dooru, Kokernag, Shangus, Bijbehara and Pahalgam.

This south Kashmir district has 5,29,256 electors, including 2,69,603 men, 2,57,540 women, 2,102 service electors and 11 transgender voters. For smooth polling, the EC has setup 714 polling stations in the district.

The Kokernag Assembly segment has the highest number of 93,874 voters (48,742 men, 44,948 women and 180 service voters) while Dooru has the lowest 79,029 electors, including 40,764 men, 37,889 women and 374 service voters.

The Assembly segment of Bijbehara has 93,516 voters (47,067 men, 46,222 women and 227 service voters), Shangus has 89,405 voters (45,360 men, 43,010 women and 1,031 service voters), Pahalgam 86,735 (44,115 men, 42,498 women and 121 service voters) and Anantnag 86,699 (43,555 men, 42,973 women and 169 service voters).

The Bijbehara segment has the highest number of 46,225 women voters whereas Shangus has a total of 1,031 service electors, which is the highest in the district.

Voting time reduced

• The Anantnag constituency is the only seat in the country that will have three-phased polls
• The poll process begins with six Assembly segments of Anantnag, one of the four districts that will go to polls on Tuesday with the reduced voting time of nine hours from 7 am to 4 pm instead of 11 hours in the rest of the constituencies