National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah has announced his intention to contest the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, which are scheduled to commence on September 18. Abdullah’s declaration came during a press conference on Friday, where he also revealed that his son, Omar Abdullah, will not be participating in this electoral cycle.
Farooq Abdullah, who has been a significant figure in Jammu and Kashmir’s political landscape, confirmed his candidacy while indicating a strategic shift for his son. “I will contest these elections, Omar Abdullah will not. When the state status is granted, then I will step down and Omar Abdullah will contest from that seat,” he stated.
The Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections are slated to be held in three phases. Voting for the first phase will occur on September 18, followed by the second phase on September 25, and the third phase on October 1. The results will be announced on October 4. Rajiv Kumar, addressing a press conference in the national capital, confirmed the election schedule, emphasizing that the counting of votes will take place on October 4.
Candidates interested in running for office must submit their nominations by the following deadlines: August 27 for the first phase, September 5 for the second phase, and September 12 for the third phase.
The elections will cover 90 assembly constituencies, including 74 General, nine Scheduled Tribes (ST), and seven Scheduled Castes (SC) seats. The electorate in Jammu and Kashmir totals 87.09 lakh, comprising 44.46 lakh males, 42.62 lakh females, 169 transgender individuals, 82,590 persons with disabilities (PwDs), 73,943 very senior citizens, 2,660 centenarians, 76,092 service electors, and 3.71 lakh first-time voters.
This will be the first assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir in a decade. The last elections were held in 2014, and the political situation shifted significantly when the PDP-BJP coalition government collapsed in June 2018 following the BJP’s withdrawal of support from then-Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.