DEO Rakesh Minhas Announces Election Process in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir
District Election Officer (DEO) Rakesh Minhas addressed the media about the upcoming election process in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir. The election process will officially start on September 5, 2024, with the issuance of the election notification for all six assembly segments in the district.
Nomination Process
The nomination process will begin with notifications from the respective Returning Officers (ROs). Nominations will be accepted from September 5-12, excluding government holidays. Candidates must visit the relevant ROs’ offices to submit their nominations, following the guidelines set by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The scrutiny of nominations will occur on September 13, and candidates can withdraw their nominations by September 17.
District Election Profile
Kathua comprises six assembly segments: 63-Bani, 64-Billawar, 65-Basohli, 66-Jasrota, 67-Kathua (SC), and 68-Hiranagar, with a total of 502,978 electors. The voter distribution is as follows:
| Assembly Segment | Total Voters | Male | Female | Third Gender |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 63-Bani | 57,999 | 30,751 | 27,247 | 1 |
| 64-Billawar | 94,651 | 49,500 | 45,151 | 0 |
| 65-Basohli | 69,282 | 36,343 | 32,937 | 2 |
| 66-Jasrota | 86,753 | 45,355 | 41,398 | 0 |
| 67-Kathua (SC) | 108,666 | 57,090 | 51,576 | 0 |
| 68-Hiranagar | 87,939 | 45,781 | 42,158 | 0 |
Security and Polling Stations
To ensure a safe election, sufficient security personnel will be deployed across all segments. A total of 704 polling stations have been established, including 36 special polling stations for various groups like Pink, Youth, PWD-manned, Green, Unique, Model, and Along Border polling stations.
Home Voting and SVEEP Plan
Home voting is available for voters over 85 years old, who can apply to vote on September 20 and 21, 2024. The DEO also discussed the District SVEEP (Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation) plan to raise awareness about voting. He urged citizens to participate actively and called on media personnel to help spread the message.
Election Dates
Kathua will go to polls on October 1, 2024, under phase III of the Assembly Elections. Polling in Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, with vote counting on October 8. Jammu and Kashmir has 90 assembly constituencies, with 7 seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 9 for Scheduled Tribes (STs). The region has 88.06 lakh eligible electors. In the previous elections, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won 28 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 25, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) won 15, and the Congress won 12. These will be the first elections in Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370.
Doubts Revealed
DEO -: DEO stands for District Election Officer. This person is responsible for organizing and overseeing elections in a specific district.
Rakesh Minhas -: Rakesh Minhas is the name of the District Election Officer in charge of the elections in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir.
Kathua -: Kathua is a district in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is one of the places where the elections will be held.
Jammu and Kashmir -: Jammu and Kashmir is a region in northern India. It has its own local government and elections.
Nominations -: Nominations are when people who want to run in the election submit their names to be candidates.
Scrutiny -: Scrutiny is the process of checking the nominations to make sure all the candidates meet the requirements to run in the election.
Withdrawals -: Withdrawals are when candidates decide not to run in the election anymore and take their names off the list.
Assembly Segments -: Assembly segments are smaller areas within a district that each elect their own representative to the state assembly.
502,978 voters -: This number represents the total people who are registered to vote in Kathua.
Phase III -: Phase III means that the voting in Kathua will happen in the third part of the overall election process.
Special polling stations -: Special polling stations are places set up to make it easier for certain people, like those with disabilities, to vote.
Home voting for seniors -: Home voting for seniors means that elderly people can vote from their homes instead of going to a polling station.
Urged -: Urged means strongly encouraged. The DEO is asking people to make sure they vote.
