Ganderbal/Jammu: Voting began in the two constituencies of Ganderbal and Kangan in the Kashmir Valley and four in the Jammu region early Sunday in the second phase of the seven-phase state assembly elections.

Voters were seen in small numbers outside polling stations early in the morning because of the cold weather and morning chill. "The voting process would pick up as the day warms up and we are expecting a fairly good voter turnout in both Kangan and Ganderbal," a poll official told IANS here.

The total number of voters in the two constituencies of the Valley are 137,560 and there are 22 candidates in the fray.

A total of 142 polling stations have been set up in the Ganderbal district out of which 79 have been set up for Ganderbal and 63 for Kangan constituency.

The contesting candidates include the regional National Conference (NC) president, Omar Abdullah who is fighting elections from Ganderbal and is pitched against 11 other candidates including Qazi Muhammad Afzal of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and Sheikh Muhammad Ashfaq of the Congress.

In Kangan constituency, senior Gujjar leader and former NC minister Mian Altaf Ahmad is contesting the polls against nine other candidates including Bashir Ahmad Mir of the PDP.

The constituencies going to polls in the Jammu region are Nowshera, Rajouri, Darhal and Kalakote.

 

Source : ians