Assembly elections 2024: J&K to go to polls across 3 phases and Haryana one as EC announces poll schedule | Check Details

Assembly elections schedule: The Election Commission of India has announced the schedule for the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana.

Addressing the media, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections would be held in three phases, marking a much shorter election period compared to previous parliamentary polls.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said the first phase of voting would take place on September 18, followed by the second phase on September 25, and the final phase on October 1. The election results are scheduled to be declared on October 4.

The elections will cover 90 Assembly constituencies, with 74 general seats, 9 reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST), and 7 reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC). A total of 87.09 lakh electors are eligible to vote, including 44.46 lakh male voters and 42.6 lakh female voters. Notably, there are 20 lakh young voters among the electorate.

The Election Commission has also declared the date for the Haryana Assembly elections. Voting will be held on October 1, with the results set to be announced on October 4.

Notably, the elections in Jammu and Kashmir are pending since 2014 and delayed further due to the region being under Governor’s Rule since 2018. on. This election is a significant step towards fulfilling the Supreme Court’s directive to restore democratic governance in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30. Last month, during a visit to Srinagar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured that elections would be held soon and that statehood would eventually be restored.

In preparation for the election, the Election Commission has stated that the final voter list would be published by August 20, a day after the conclusion of the Amarnath Yatra. Approximately 87 lakh voters are expected to participate in this pivotal election.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar emphasised the public’s desire for change and their enthusiasm for participating in the electoral process. “The people want to script a new future,” he said, underscoring the determination to hold a safe and successful election in the region.

“We recently visited Jammu and Kashmir to assess election preparations. The enthusiasm was evident… people are eager to participate in the process and want elections as soon as possible,” Kumar remarked, recalling the long queues at polling stations in J&K and Ladakh during the previous Lok Sabha elections. These queues, he noted, are proof that the people not only desire change but are also ready to be part of it. “The glimpse of hope and democracy shows that people want to change the picture… they want to write their own destiny. The people chose ballots over bullets,” he said.

On the other hand, Haryana is set to vote in a single phase on October 1 to elect a new state government, with the results to be declared on October 4. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar stated 20,629 polling stations would be established across the state, with 7,132 in urban areas and 13,497 in rural regions, to accommodate over 2 crore voters.

Special arrangements would be made in urban areas like Gurugram, Sonepat, and Faridabad, where polling stations would be set up in multistoried buildings. The Haryana Assembly comprises 90 seats, including 73 General and 17 Scheduled Castes (SC) seats. Among the voters, 10,321 centenarians will also participate in this democratic process.