Jammu and Kashmir will vote in the third and last phase of assembly polls today, and pick representatives for 40 of its 90 constituencies. Of the 40 constituencies, 24 come under the Jammu division and the rest are in Kashmir.

Here are the top 10 points in this story:

Srinagar:

The campaign vehicle of Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid was attacked Sunday by an assailant who stomped on the bonnet and the front windshield, damaging the glass.

Sheikh Abdul Rashid (57), popularly known as Engineer Rashid, who was in the car when the incident happened was unhurt.

The car was attacked in the Langate area of Kupwara district on the last day of electioneering in north Kashmir.

A video of the attack which appeared on social media showed a man climbing and stomping on the bonnet and the front windshield of the vehicle.

Rashid’s Awami Ittehad Party has not commented on the incident so far.

According to sources, the assailant is a former aide of the Member of Parliament and was instrumental in his Lok Sabha election campaign in April-May, but has fallen out with him since.

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

Srinagar:

Radical jailed separatist leader Sarjan Ahmad Wagay is set to take on former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah from the Ganderbal constituency in the upcoming Assembly elections. His nomination papers have been accepted from two assembly constituencies – Ganderbal and Beerwah. 

Omar Abdullah, however, on Friday alleged that the BJP and central government were putting up the jailed separatist against him so that he would be defeated in assembly elections.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the NC’s vice president was defeated by Engineer Rashid, who is lodged in Delhi’s Tihar jail on terror funding charges.

“Leaders in Delhi dislike me. But the fact that they hate me so much is getting evident to me. Why are candidates in jail only contesting against me,” Mr Abdullah said.

He said he now smells a rat even in Engineer Rashid’s Lok Sabha victory from the Baramulla parliament seat. 

“I never saw a plot in the victory of Engineer Rashid, who had contested elections earlier too. But when the news came about Sarjan Barkati contesting from Ganderbal, I could see a plot,” he said.

“Some agencies felt that I may also contest from Beerwah, where I won the last time. He (Barkati) was first asked to file from Ganderbal and then from Beerwah. I circumvented them and filed from Budgam instead of Beerwa” he said.

The separatist cleric, also known as Sarjan Barkati, was the face of 2016 violent agitations in Kashmir after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in 2016.

In his speeches, he openly incited youth to pick up guns, asking them to become suicide bombers. He also used to say that guns were the only solution and called for attacks on symbols of India.

He was first arrested in 2016 and a case was filed against him under the Public Safety Act. He was again arrested last year and is facing charges under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

His wife is also in jail on terror funding charges.

New Delhi:

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Friday said it is a “good thing” that Jamaat-e-Islami leaders are participating in the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir elections but fired a salvo at the banned group. While welcoming their participation into active politics, the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir said that they would have to explain to the people of the union territory “why so much blood was in their hands”.

“It’s a good thing they are participating. Everyone should participate but the question would be asked why the region suffered for almost 30-40 years and what was achieved by their actions,” Omar Abdullah told NDTV in an exclusive interview.

The National Conference never backed out from participating in elections or being part of the democratic process, he said.

“We suffered because we always spoke about having a relationship with India we never spoke that the issue of Jammu and Kashmir is beyond the Indian constitution. We believe in what (former PM Atal Bihari) Vajpayee Ji used to say – insaniyat (humanity), jamhuriyat (democracy) kashmiriyat (Kashmiri culture),” he added.

He also said people who “brought so much suffering” to the people, who always said Jammu and Kashmir is “not part of India” are now willing to contest Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections.

“But the question remains what did the blood bath achieve? So many houses got destroyed, and thousands of lives were lost. Our graveyards are full because of them,” Mr Abdullah said.

Although it would have been better if their ban would have been uplifted and they would have fought on their symbol, he added.

Jamaat cannot take part in the elections due to the ban imposed on it by the Union home ministry. It has not taken part in any elections after 1987.

On Article 370, J&K Elections

Speaking on the BJP’s charge that people came out in more numbers and participated in elections after the abrogation of Article 370, Omar Abdullah said that the two are not connected.

“Due to fear of guns, people were not participating in elections. Otherwise, all our elections before 1990 would not have been conducted. They were all successful,” he told NDTV.

“It’s not right to say that only after the abrogation of Article 370 people participated in elections. The only reason now that participation has increased is because now people with separatist mindset also want to contest elections,” he said.

Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, was abrogated by the Narendra Modi government on August 5, 2019, and the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two UTs – Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Restoration of Article 370 and Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood are among the National Conference’s 12 guarantees announced in its manifesto for the upcoming polls.

Mr Abdullah also promised the people of Jammu and Kashmir that their identity and their dignity would be restored soon.

“We will restore statehood no matter what. If they do not give it with their blessing, we will go to the Supreme Court and will take it,” he said.

Assembly polls are being held in Jammu and Kashmir for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370. The polls, which are the first in 10 years, will be held in three phases from September 18 to October 1. The counting of votes will be done on October 4.

On Mehbooba Mufti’s Charge

Omar Abdullah also countered the claim of People’s Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti, who said that when they came to power with the BJP, they withdrew 12,000 cases against youngsters.

“What is she talking about? A case was filed against Sarjan Barkati (a cleric) under the PSA (Public Safety Act) by Mehbooba Mufti,” he said.

Mr Abdullah also said that they would remove the PSA from the state book if they came to power.

On Ms Mufti attacking him about their poll alliance with Congress and that there was no agenda between both parties, Mr Abdullah said, “Agenda for alliance or governance alliance only after elections are won. Her former colleague Altaf Bukhari has stated that the PDP and BJP had a relationship before the elections too and it’s only after the elections were over agenda for the alliance took shape. If we also get the opportunity to serve people, we will also come out with such a document,” he said.

On How Kashmir Politics Is Changing 

Omar Abdullah also spoke to NDTV on how politics in Kashmir is changing every day and small parties — which gained traction after 2019 — are slowly withering away like former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad’s party (Democratic Progressive Azad Party) and Apni Party. 

“I hope he (Mr Azad) gets well soon and gets back to active politics. But as far as his party is concerned, I sympathise with them. If some of them knew such a thing was likely to happen they would have jumped the ship and landed at either Congress or our doorstep,”
he said. 

While commenting on the Apni Party, he said there is a joke in Kashmir “ek pir and chaar mir”. Besides Apni Party chief Altaaf Bukhari, four Mirs are – one each from Tangmarg, Rafiabad, Pahalgam, and Sonawar.

On US Delegation Visiting Him

On meeting a delegation of US diplomats at his Gupkar residence earlier this month, Omar Abdullah said they wanted to know their viewpoint on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

“It’s then when I told them if things are better, then travel advisories should be diluted,” he said.

Mr Abdullah had called for a relook at travel advisories for Jammu and Kashmir to ease restrictions over visiting the union territory.

“I had done the same thing with Germany when I was the chief minister,” he said.

Srinagar:

After its seat-sharing arrangement with the Congress was finalised, National Conference (NC) Monday issued its first list of 18 candidates for the first phase of the three-phased assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

The party in a post on X said the list was approved by NC president Farooq Abdullah.

The party named its former MP from Anantnag, Justice (Retd) Hassnain Masoodi, as its candidate from Pampore and former legislator Mohammad Khalil Bandh from Pulwama.

The NC announced the name of Ghulam Mohi-Ud-Din Mir from Rajpora, Showkat Hussain Ganie from Zainpora, Sheikh Mohammad Rafi from Shopian and former minister Sakina Ittoo from DH Pora.

It also named Peerzada Feroze Ahmad from Devsa, Chowdary Zaffer Ahmad from Larnoo, Abdul Majeed Larmi from Anantnag West, Bashir Ahmad Veeri from Bijbehara, Reyaz Ahmad Khan from Anantnag East and Altaf Ahmad Kaloo from Pahalgam. All these seats are in south Kashmir.

For the seats in Jammu region, the NC announced Mehboob Iqbal from Bhaderwah, Khalid Najeeb Soharwardy from Doda, Arjun Singh Raju from Ramban, Sajad Shaheen from Banihal, former minister Sajad Kichloo from Kishtwar and Pooja Thokur from Pader-Nagsani.

After hectic negotiation, the NC and the Congress Monday agreed to contest 51 and 32 seats respectively for the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

One seat each has been allotted to the CPI(M) and the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP), the allies announced at a joint press conference at the NC president’s residence here after day-long negotiations.

They also said there will be a “friendly contest” on five seats of the Union Territory.

The first phase of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held on September 18, second on September 25 and the third on October 1. Counting of votes will be undertaken on October 4. 

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

Srinagar:

J&K Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Tuesday said that a total of 93,284 voters have been added in the Special Summary Revision across Jammu and Kashmir while the elector population ratio has improved from 0.59 to 0.60.

“The number of young voters in the 18 to 19 years age group has increased by 45,964, with 24,310 of them being women even as the overall number of women voters has also gone up by 51,142,” the CEO said.

He added that the total number of young electors in Jammu and Kashmir in the 18-29 age group stands at 25.34 Lakhs.

“The Special Summary of Photo Electoral Rolls with the qualifying date of July 1, 2024, was successfully completed in all twenty districts of Jammu and Kashmir. With a focus on ensuring accuracy, inclusivity, and purity of electoral rolls, the mammoth Special Summary Revision exercise has been completed successfully,” the CEO said.

He said that as per the Special Summary Revision-2024 completed with the publication of the final electoral roll, the total number of electors (voters) stands at 88.03 lakh. These include 44.89 lakh males, 43.13 lakh females and 168 third-gender electors.

The CEO also noted the special efforts made during the special summary revision exercise which has resulted in the improvement in the gender ratio of the electors by 2 points – going up from 959 to 961, demonstrating significant progress in efforts towards intensification of electoral inclusion of women.

He that the number of polling stations across Jammu and Kashmir has also seen an uptick. “The number of polling stations (PSs) in Jammu and Kashmir for the upcoming Assembly elections has increased from 11629 to 11838 and polling station locations (PSLs) from 8930 to 9168,” the CEO said.

The CEO informed that J&K has 83,191 registered Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) voters while the number of centenarian voters (of age over 100 years) stands at 2428.

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