Jammu and Kashmir elections: Fates of Omar Abdullah, state chiefs of Cong, BJP & Apni Party to be sealed on Sept 25

The second phase of polling for the ongoing assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will take place on Wednesday, covering 26 constituencies. This phase will determine the fates of several major candidates, including National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah, Congress J&K chairman Tariq Hameed Karra, BJP J&K unit president Ravinder Raina, and Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari.

A total of 239 candidates, including 99 Independents, are in the fray in six districts in the Union Territory. The list comprises seven of nine Scheduled Tribe seats. 25.78 lakh people are eligible to vote in 3,502 polling stations in Kashmir's Ganderbal, Srinagar, and Budgam and Jammu division's Reasi, Rajouri, and Poonch.

Omar Abdullah is contesting from Kashmir's Ganderbal and Budgam constituencies, and voting for both seats will take place during this phase. In Ganderbal, the NC leader faces his former colleague Ishfaq Jabbar, who is contesting as an Independent; Sheikh Ashiq, a businessman who is supported by Engineer Rashid's Awami Ittehad Party; and jailed preacher Sarjan Barkati. Abdullah is optimistic about his chances in Budgam, thanks to the support of NC LS member Aga Ruhullah.


JKPCC chief Karra is contesting from the Central Shalteng where he is pitted against Abdul Qayum (PDP) and Zaffer Dar (Apni Party).

In Channapora, Apni Party chief Bukhari is in the fray against Mohammed Iqbal Trumboo (PDP) and Mushtaq Guroo (NC). Hilal Ahmad Wani is the BJP candidate here.

Another interesting contest is in Habbakadal, Srinagar, where four Kashmiri Pandits, including Ashok Bhat of the BJP, are contesting against two-time legislator Shamim Firdous of the NC.

Fourth generation politician Mian Meher Ali, son of NC's MP Mian Altaf, whose family has never lost an election since the 1960s is testing his luck for the first time from Kangan.

In Lal Chowk, first timers Aijaz Hussain of BJP, Ahsan Pardesi of NC and Zuhaib Yusuf Mir of PDP are contesting against veteran Muhammad Ashraf Mir of Apni Party, who won the last assembly election in 2014 from here.

BJP's Ravinder Raina is fighting a tough battle in Nowshera seat from Rajouri district.

In Shri Mata Vaishno Devi seat, BJP has fielded Baldev Raj Sharma while Thakur Randhir Singh from the saffron party is contesting from the Kalakote-Sunderbani seat.

The BJP is hopeful of getting maximum votes from the Pahari community, who they included in the ST category, just before the Lok Sabha elections. The party is also eyeing the votes of other tribes that have become eligible for more government benefits after the abrogation of Article 370.