To ensure the democratic participation of all eligible voters, postal ballot voting was on Saturday successfully conducted in a segment of the Jammu Lok Sabha constituency which is going to polls in the second phase on April 26, an official spokesman said.

As many as 48 employees from different departments, who opted for the postal ballot voting, availed of the facility in the Kalakote-Subderbani assembly constituency, the spokesperson said.

The postal ballot initiative provided a convenient and accessible avenue for employees to cast their votes who are associated with election work. It has emerged as a beacon of accessibility, allowing employees to fulfil their civic duty without the constraints of physical presence at polling stations, the spokesperson said.

District Election Officer Rajouri, Om Prakash Bhagat, along with Deputy Inspector General, Rajouri-Poonch Range, Tejinder Singh and Senior Superintendent of Police, Amrit Pal Singh also visited Kalakote-Sunderbani Assembly Constituency.

They reviewed the preparedness for the upcoming elections in the segment, including home voting scheduled for Sunday.

They also assessed security measures and logistical arrangements and directed all concerned stakeholders to ensure a smooth and transparent process for the electoral process, the spokesperson said.

Later, the District Election Officer along with the police officers and Additional Deputy Commissioner, Kalakote, Mohd Tanveer also visited the dispatch centre established in boys higher secondary school Kalakote, the spokesperson said.

Jammu Lok Sabha seat, which was reshaped on the recommendations of the delimitation commission in 2022, comprises a total of 18 segments and is spread across three districts of Jammu, Samba and Reasi districts besides one segment of Rajouri.

Besides Kalakote-Sunderbani, 11 segments of Bishnah (SC), Suchetgarh (SC), R S Pura-Jammu South, Bahu, Jammu East, Nagrota, Jammu West, Jammu North, Marh (SC), Akhnoor (SC) and Chamb falls in Jammu district, Ramgarh (SC), Samba and Vijaypur in Samba district and Gulabgarh (ST), Reasi and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi in Reasi.

Among the 23 candidates in the fray from the constituency, BJP’s incumbent MP Jugal Kishore and Raman Bhalla of Congress are engaged in a direct fight.

Kishore is looking for a hat-trick of wins after successfully retaining the seat in the 2014 and 2019 polls.

Prominent among others in the fray are Jagdish Raj from Bahujan Samaj Party and Ankur Sharma from Ekam Sanatan Bharat Dal. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Fabric maker Donear will invest ₹400 crore in Jammu to make carpets and rugs, said Rajendra Agarwal, its Managing Director.

The company has purchased land in Jammu and the plant will be operational in 24 months. Almost 90 % of the products made there will be exported and with this unit, Donear will venture into home textiles, he said.

It launched ‘Neo Stretch’ brand fabric in the domestic market three years ago and plans to start exclusive retail outlets for Neo Stretch products. At present 10% of its domestic business will be from Neo Stretch products. Donear will also launch 50 to 100 multi brand outlets that will sell its four national brands and eight sub-brands. “The plan is to have 400 stores in three years,” he said.

The company recently acquired two spinning units, taking its total spindleage to over one lakh. This will add ₹400 crore to its topline, Mr. Aggarwal said.

The export and the domestic markets for textiles are expected to revive by July this year, he added.