After a decade, the Union Territory goes on polls in three phases starting September 18
Jammu and Kashmir is gearing up for its first assembly elections in a decade, with the first phase of polling set for Wednesday (September 18). Over 23 lakh voters will decide the fate of 219 candidates, including 90 independents, who are running for 24 Assembly segments— eight in three districts of Jammu region and 16 in four districts of Kashmir valley.
The second phase, covering 26 seats, is slated for September 25, while the third and final phase, involving 40 seats, is scheduled for October 5. Here is the schedule in detail:
Since the dissolution of the Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly, despite contrasting claims, on November 21, 2018, by the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Satya Pal Malik, the then-state has gone through much change; mainly the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution of India on August 5, 2019, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
With this, and the passing of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, the State was split up into the union territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir from October 31, 2019.
On May 5, 2022, the Jammu and Kashmir Delimitation Commission notified the new boundaries, names, and the number of Assembly constituencies. Compared to the previous delimitation, which comprised 87 seats (including the 4 seats in the Ladakh region), the new Assembly in the Union Territory has 90 seats: 47 in Kashmir and 43 in Jammu.
This is an increase from the earlier 83 (in the regions of Jammu and Kashmir), with six additional seats being in Jammu and one in Kashmir. These 90 seats will be contested across three phases, as shown in the graphic below.
2014 elections: A recap
In the 2014 elections, which were held across five phases in the unified Jammu and Kashmir, the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed-led Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (JKPDP) won 28 seats, which was the most won by any party, but still short of the majority of 44 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 25 seats, followed by the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) which won 15 seats, and the Congress won 12.
When the four major parties (stated above) active in the State are considered across the divisions of Kashmir, Jammu, and Ladakh; the JKPDP established a stronghold in Kashmir by winning 25 of the 46 seats in the valley. Meanwhile, the BJP won 25 of 37 seats in the Jammu region, and Congress won three of four seats in the Ladakh division.
Since 1996, it can be seen from the chart below, the strength of JKNC has gone downhill in the State from winning 57 seats in 1996, to 15 in 2014. Meanwhile, the BJP has seen a noticeable rise in power since 2002, especially in the Jammu division.
