More than half of the polling booths in Jammu and Kashmir, or over 6,400, have been designated as ‘critical‘, and around 1,000 companies of security forces would be deployed for the three-phase assembly elections, ET has gathered.
The bulk of the ‘critical ‘ polling centres will vote in phase 1 on September 18. Several of them are in the South Kashmir region, which has recently seen increased insurgent activity and counterinsurgency operations, as well as the involvement of foreign militants.
Of the 11,838 polling station in J&K, 6,458 have been classified as critical and will require closer monitoring. Nearly 240 polling sites for phase 2 and phase 3 polls have been designated critical.
In EC parlance, ‘critical’ polling stations are those with high political stakes in terms of vote share and margins of victory in the previous elections, where polling was more than 90% and more than 75% of votes were cast in support of one candidate. These also include booths that reported electoral violence or malpractices in the previous elections.
The poll panel aims at covering over 9,200 polling stations with webcasting to monitor the voting process. ET has learnt that the J&K security and administrative departments had assessed the requirement of a 1,000-company deployment towards elections given the additional security cover required for the candidates, the recent rounds of attacks by terrorists.
While nearly 500 companies are already deployed in J&K, most of which were retained after the completion of the Amarnath Yatra last week, the numbers will rise over the next few days, those in the know told ET.
Given that 244 candidates candidates are in the fray for phase 1, the need for pushing up security requirements is felt. Ensuring such a cover for a single candidate involves 15-20 dedicated personnel working in shifts.
67 candidates are in the fray in Anantnag district, followed by 46 in Pulwama district, 34 in Doda district, 29 in Kishtwar district, 21 in Shopian district, 26 in Kulgam district, while 21.
Phase 1 covers 24 assembly constituencies across seven districts and will vote on September 18. Phase 2 and 3 are scheduled for September 25 and October 1, wrapping up the J&K polls within a short 15-day window.
