Jammu and Kashmir 2024 Assembly Polls: Election Overview And Key Dates

This will be the first election since the revocation of Article 370 and Jammu and Kashmir’s “special status,” which led to a five-year suspension of political activities. ]

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced that Jammu and Kashmir, now a Union Territory (UT), will hold its elections across three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, 2024, with results declared on October 8, alongside the Haryana Assembly election results.

The previous Assembly elections took place in 2014, but the government collapsed in 2018 when the BJP withdrew support from the PDP-led coalition under Mehbooba Mufti.

The region also held District Development Council (DDC) elections in late 2020. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Jammu and Kashmir saw its highest voter turnout in 35 years at 58.46%.

Jammu and Kashmir 2024 elections: Assembly constituencies

Jammu and Kashmir now has 90 constituencies. The BJP plans to contest independently, while the National Conference (NC) and Congress have formed an alliance. Under this arrangement, NC will contest 51 seats, Congress will contest 32, and there will be “friendly contests” in five constituencies.

Additionally, one seat each has been given to the CPI(M) in South Kashmir and the Panthers Party in Jammu.

Parties contesting in the J&K 2024 elections

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
The BJP is aiming to make headway in India’s only Muslim-majority legislature, having announced 45 candidates out of 90 seats. Although it is unclear if the party will contest all the seats, no alliances have been made so far. The BJP has been active in local elections since Article 370’s revocation but did not participate in the Lok Sabha elections. However, it has supported independent candidates or local parties that align with its stance on Jammu and Kashmir.

During the 2020 DDC elections, BJP emerged as the largest party, winning 75 of the 280 available seats. It managed to secure six councils in Jammu but none in Kashmir. Leading up to the Lok Sabha elections, BJP’s main rival, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), failed to unite. BJP focused its efforts on Ladakh, Udhampur, and Jammu, winning both Jammu seats, while independent candidate Mohmad Haneefa won in Ladakh.

The BJP initially announced 44 candidates for the upcoming elections, including Muslims from the Pir Panjal valley. However, after protests over alleged favoritism of “turncoats” over loyal members, the party made changes, replacing Rohit Dubey with Baldev Raj Sharma for the Vaishno Devi seat. The party is yet to announce a candidate for Nowshera.

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INDIA Alliance – NC & Congress
In 2020, Congress’ J&K Chief Taj Mohiudin attended a meeting with the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) at NC leader Farooq Abdullah’s residence, forming an alliance with six political parties to advocate for the restoration of J&K’s special status. Congress distanced itself from PAGD initially but later joined for electoral purposes, leading to a coalition victory in the DDC elections. Congress formalized its alliance under the INDIA umbrella in 2023, leading to a seat-sharing arrangement with NC.

NC’s manifesto pledges to restore Articles 370 and 35A, reinstate statehood, revoke post-2019 laws, and promote dialogue between India and Pakistan, among other promises. Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi, has released its first list of nine candidates.

PDP’s Outside Support Agenda
Though PDP left the INDI alliance, Mehbooba Mufti has expressed conditional support if the alliance adopts her party’s agenda. The PDP manifesto reflects NC’s, advocating for restored statehood, enhanced India-Pakistan dialogue, and a reassessment of “unjust” job terminations. Mehbooba Mufti will not seek re-election, with her daughter Iltija contesting from Bijbehara.

PC, DPAP, and Apni Party
Other notable contenders include Sajjad Lone’s J&K People’s Conference (PC), Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), and Altaf Bukhari’s J&K Apni Party. These parties are fielding candidates independently of the major alliances.

Importance of J&K Assembly elections

These elections are the first since the region’s bifurcation into two UTs and the revocation of its special status. A delimitation process in 2022 allocated 43 seats to Jammu and 47 to Kashmir, with nine reserved for scheduled tribes. Recent legislative changes have also introduced new reservation policies in J&K.

Constituencies in Phase 1 of the elections

The 24 assembly constituencies going to polls in the first phase include:

Pampore
Tral
Pulwama
Rajpora
Zainapora
Shopian
D H Pora
Kulgam
Devsar
Dooru
Kokernag (ST)
Anantnag West
Anantnag
Srigufwara Bijbehara
Shangus Anantnag East
Pahalgam
Inderwal
Kishtwar
Padder – Nagseni
Bhadarwah
Doda
Doda West
Ramban
Banihal

Here are other important dates:

Phase 1 (All 24 ACs)

Date of Issue of Gazette Notification : 20-08-2024
Last Date of Nominations : 27-08-2024
Date for Scrutiny of Nominations : 28-08-2024
Last Date for Withdrawal of candidatures : 30-08-2024
Date of Poll : 18-09-2024
Date of Counting : 08-10-2024
Date before which election shall be completed :10-10-2024

Phase 2 (All 26 ACs)

Date of Issue of Gazette Notification : 29-08-2024
Last Date of Nominations : 05-09-2024
Date for Scrutiny of Nominations : 06-09-2024
Last Date for Withdrawal of candidatures: 09-09-2024
Date of Poll : 25-09-2024
Date of Counting : 08-10-2024
Date before which election shall be completed :10-10-2024

Phase 3 (All 40 ACs)

Date of Issue of Gazette Notification : 05-09-2024
Last Date of Nominations : 12-09-2024
Date for Scrutiny of Nominations : 13-09-2024
Last Date for Withdrawal of candidatures: 17-09-2024
Date of Poll : 01-10-2024
Date of Counting : 08-10-2024
Date before which election shall be completed : 10-10-2024

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