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Jailed leader’s entry electrifies contest
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The campaign for Baramulla seat has been fiercely contested, with NC vice-chief Omar Abdullah and Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Lone taking prominent roles in their respective campaigns
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The entry of Engineer Abdul Rashid, who is presently lodged in Tihar jail, has heightened the anticipation for Monday’s election, in which 22 candidates will vie for victory
In the fifth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections on Monday, the Baramulla Parliamentary constituency in north Kashmir is all set to witness a significant contest. Leading the charge are three prominent candidates — NC vice-president Omar Abdullah, Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Lone and the latest entrant, an Independent, Engineer Rashid, who is lodged in Tihar jail since 2019.
The campaign for the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat has been fiercely contested, with Omar and Lone taking prominent roles in their respective campaigns. The entry of a new contender, Engineer Abdul Rashid, has further heightened the anticipation for Monday’s election, in which 22 candidates will vie for victory. Jailed leader Engineer Rashid’s campaign was led by his 23-year-old son Abrar Rashid.
Abrar surprised many with its popularity. He has directly challenged former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Peoples Conference Chairperson Sajad Lone. The NC has historically dominated Baramulla, winning the seat 10 times, including in 2019, when Mohammad Akbar Lone secured victory against the Peoples Conference candidate by a margin of 30,000 votes.
This time, Abdullah and Lone are personally invested in winning the seat, making this contest the most crucial one in Jammu and Kashmir. The defeat of any of these candidates will have a long-term impact on J&K politics.
According to the Election Commission (EC), 17,37,865 lakh people are eligible to vote in Baramulla on Monday, of which 8,75,831 are male and 8,62,000 are female voters. A total of 2,103 polling stations have been set up across the four districts of Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora and parts of Budgam. More than 8,000 polling staff, including reserves, will be deployed on Monday. Besides, there are 28 border polling stations in Kupwara and Baramulla districts.
Voting will take place from 7 am to 6 pm before which there will be a mock poll in the polling stations in presence of polling agents. Voting can continue even after 6.00 pm, if the voters’ queue is still there at a polling station.
Every polling station will be provided with Assured Minimum Facilities (AMFs) like drinking water, electricity, toilet, ramp, furniture, verandah, shed, wheelchairs, etc.
A total of 18 polling booths will be managed by women (also called as pink polling stations), 17 by specially-abled persons and 18 by youths. There will also be 21 green polling stations in order to create awareness on environmental concerns. All 2,103 polling stations in Baramulla have been equipped with CCTV cameras for live webcasting.
