State Vision News Service Srinagar, Sept. 17 With the stage set for the first phase of the 2024 General Elections to the Legislative Assembly, scheduled for September 18, the fate of 219 candidates will be determined by over 23.27 lakh voters. The first phase of the Legislative Assembly Elections 2024 will cover 24 Assembly Constituencies ACs across seven districts of Jammu Kashmir. These include Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, and Kulgam in the Kashmir Division, Doda, Ramban, and Kishtwar in the Jammu Division. In the Kashmir Division, 16 ACs are up for election: Pampore, Tral, Pulwama, Rajpora, Zainapora, Shopian, DH Pora, Kulgam, Devsar, Dooru, Kokernag ST , Anantnag West, Anantnag, Srigufwara Bijbehara, Shangus Anantnag East, and Pahalgam. Meanwhile, in the Jammu Division, 8 ACs Inderwal, Kishtwar, Padder Nagseni, Bhadarwah, Doda, Doda West, Ramban, and Banihal will also go to the polls. According to the latest electoral rolls, 23,27,580 lakh voters are eligible to cast their ballots in this phase, comprising 11,76,462 lakh male voters, 11,51,058 lakh female voters, and 60 third gender voters. Underlining the significance of the role to be played by the youth of Jammu and Kashmir in strengthening the democracy, as many as 5.66 lakh youths are eligible to votes in phase 1 of the Assembly Election.
Youth voters are a significant demographic, with 5.66 lakh eligible voters between the ages of 18 and 29, including 1,23,960 lakh voters aged 18 to 19. Among these, 10,261 are male and 9,329 are female are first time voters. This phase will also see participation from 28,309 Persons with Disabilities PwDs and 15,774 voters above the age of 85. With this, 64 candidates are fray in Anantnag district, followed by 45 in Pulwama district, 27 in Doda district, 25 in Kulgam district, 22 in Kishtwar district, 21 in Shopian district, while 15 are contesting in Ramban district. In Kishtwar district, 9 candidates are fray in 48 Inderwal AC; 7 candidates in 49 Kishtwar AC; while 6 are contesting in 50 Padder Nagseni AC. In Doda district, 10 candidates are in fray 51 Bhadarwah AC; 9 candidates in 52 Doda AC; and 8 candidates are contesting in 53 Doda West AC. In Ramban district, 8 candidates are fray in 54 Ramban AC; while 7 candidates will contest in 55 Banihal AC. Similarly, in Pulwama district, 14 candidates are fray in 32 Pampore AC; 9 candidates in 33 Tral AC; 12 candidates in 34 Pulwama AC; and 10 candidates Contd.
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