The high-voltage electioneering came to an end on Wednesday evening in Udhampur parliamentary constituency in Jammu and Kashmir which is witnessing its first major electoral battle since it was bifurcated and downgraded to the status of a Union Territory in 2019.
The polling is slated in Udhampur Lok Sabha seat in the first phase on April 19 and will decide the fate of 12 contestants, including Union Minister Jitendra Singh who is seeking a third term and is facing a major challenge from Congress candidate Choudhary Lal Singh.
The presence of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) candidate and former Jammu and Kashmir minister G M Saroori makes the contest a triangular one.
Over 16.23 lakh electorate including 7.77 lakh women are going to vote at 2637 polling stations across the constituency which is spread over five districts of Kishtwar, Doda, Ramban, Udhampur and Kathua.
The Udhampur Parliamentary Constituency consists of 18 Assembly Segments spanning across five districts including Kishtwar, Doda, Ramban, Udhampur and Kathua.
Encompassing an expansive area of 16,707 square kilometres, the constituency boasts of a diverse electorate comprising 16,23,195 eligible voters. Among them are 845,283 male voters, 777,899 female voters and 13 third gender voters, reflecting the inclusivity of democratic process.
In Kishtwar district, with three Assembly Segments namely Inderwal, Kishtwar and Padder Nagseni, a total of 175,897 electors, including 90256 male and 85641 female, are poised to exercise their right to franchise.
Doda district, also with three Assembly Segments namely Bhaderwah, Doda and Doda West, contributes 305,093 voters to the electoral roll comprising 157375 male, 147711 female and 7 third gender electors
Ramban district, encompassing two Assembly Segments namely Ramban and Banihal, has 219,124 registered electors, including 113814 male and 105310 female electors.
Udhampur District, comprising four Assembly Segments namely Udhampur West, Udhampur East, Chenani and Ramnagar, boasts 419,854 electors which included 219890 male and 199964 female electors.
Kathua district, with six Assembly Segments of Bani, Billawar, Basohli, Jasrota, Kathua and Hiranagar will see a robust participation of 503,227 registered voters comprising 263948 male, 239273 female and 6 third gender electors.
To facilitate seamless voting, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has set up 2,637 polling stations across the constituency, including 405 in Kishtwar, 529 in Doda, 348 in Ramban, 654 in Udhampur and 701 in Kathua District.
In line with the commitment towards fair and transparent elections, the ECI has deployed 3,658 Ballot Units, 3,570 Control Units, and 3,636 VVPATs (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the electoral process.
Moreover, 1,472 polling stations will be equipped with webcasting facilities to further enhance transparency in the democratic process.
After Udhampur, Jammu parliamentary constituency will go to polls on April 26 followed by Anantnag-Rajouri constituency on May 7, Srinagar on May 13 and Baramulla on May 20. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.
The contestants, especially the BJP, the Congress and the DPAP, left no stone unturned to woo the voters, bringing back the focus on Article 370 that provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir and which was abrogated by the BJP-led central government in August 2019.
The BJP also came in for severe criticism by the rivals for continuing its “proxy rule” by not holding assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and dividing the erstwhile state into two Union territories.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who reached Udhampur on April 12 and took the campaigning to its crescendo, reassured the people about holding of assembly elections and restoration of statehood.
Modi highlighted the achievements made in Jammu and Kashmir over the past five years and said this is for the first time in decades that the upcoming elections are taking place in Jammu and Kashmir without the fear of terrorism, strikes, stone-pelting and cross-border firing.
The BJP, which also brought a galaxy of high-profile leaders, including defence minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister Anurag Thakur, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and national spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, to the constituency, boasted about the restoration of peace by ending Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, stone-pelting and frequent strikes besides ensuring record-breaking tourist arrivals and massive development.
Home Minister Amit Shah, during his election rally in Jammu on Tuesday, reiterated that the assembly elections will be held in accordance with the deadline of September 30 set by the Supreme Court.
The campaigning by the Congress, on the other hand, saw their star campaigners, including actor-turned politician Raj Babbar, former deputy chief minister of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot and chairman of minority department AICC Imran Pratapgarhi, addressing a series of rallies in the constituency to bolster the chances of their candidate.
The National Conference (NC), which is a part of the Congress-led INDIA bloc, also hit the campaign trail in support of Lal Singh. Its president Farooq Abdullah and vice president Omar Abdullah, both former chief ministers, undertook a whirlwind tour of the Chenab valley region.
The two leaders went full throttle against the DPAP, accusing it of being a proxy of the BJP to divide the secular votes in the constituency.
On the last day of campaigning, the contestants made a last ditch effort to reach out to the voters. Jitendra Singh carried out door-to-door campaigning and held rallies in Kathua. Lal Singh, accompanied by Wani and Pratapgari, visited Ramban and Saroori and was seen canvassing in Kishtwar.