2014 Jammu & Kashmir Phase I Polls for 15 Constitutencies Tuesday Nov 25,2014

 

A total of 10,502,50 voters, including 5,00,539 women, will decide the fate of 12 sitting MLAs, including seven ministers among 123 candidates at 1,900 polling stations in 15 constituencies

Polling will start at 8:00 am and will continue till 4:00 pm in all the 1,787 polling booths

For ruling National Conference (NC) and its coalition partner the Congress it is a do or die situation as the former is defending 7 seats while the later is seeking re-election from 6 seats

For the first time there is a four-way battle between the Congress, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's National Conference, the Jammu & Kashmir People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the BJP, which has set itself the target of winning 50 plus seats in the 87-member assembly, with an eye on forming government. 

Phase I Poll is also crucial for Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) as it can pave the way for the saffron party to accomplish its 'Mission 44-plus', a feat that will enable it to form a government in India's only Muslim-majority state, as three district of Jammu region - Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar - which have a Muslim majority are going to poll in the first phase. Except Gurez and Sonawari constituencies, BJP has fielded candidates in all 13 constituencies. BJP has to win all the 37 seats in Jammu region and four in Ladakh besides three in Kashmir valley to achieve the mission

For the first time in 25 years, people ignored a boycott call by separatists to line up in large numbers to vote in the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections and 71.28 % polling recorded in J&K was probably the highest.