Rajesh Sharma Prepares Samba for Upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Elections
District Collector and Election Officer Rajesh Sharma has announced that all necessary facilities at polling stations in Samba, Jammu and Kashmir, are ready for the upcoming Assembly elections. The third phase of voting will take place on October 1.
Polling Preparations
Sharma detailed that there are three Assembly constituencies and 366 polling stations in Samba. He stated, “We have prepared everything according to the timeline of ECI. As of now, we are prepared. There is a festival-like environment here. We started taking the nominations from September 5. I personally visited the polling stations and I wanted to ensure the basic facilities like ramp, water, washrooms.”
West Pakistani Refugees to Vote
West Pakistani refugees, who were granted citizenship earlier this year, will vote for the first time. Sharma noted, “Now, they have become normal voters. This time, they will choose their representative in Vidhan Sabha for the first time. They are in big numbers from Vijaypur and Ramgarh. We can see they are very enthusiastic.”
First Phase Turnout
The first phase of polling, held on September 18, saw a voter turnout of 61.13%. Kishtwar district recorded the highest turnout at 80.14%, followed by Ramban at 70.55%, Doda at 71.34%, Kulgam at 62.60%, Anantnag at 57.84%, and Shopian at 55.96%.
Election Context
This election is the first in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370. Several political parties and independents are contesting, with National Congress and Congress forming an alliance. Voting for the second and third phases will be held on September 25 and October 1, respectively, and votes will be counted on October 8.
Doubts Revealed
Rajesh Sharma -: Rajesh Sharma is a person who works for the government. He is the District Collector, which means he is in charge of looking after a district, in this case, Samba.
Samba -: Samba is a district in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is one of the places where people will vote in the upcoming elections.
Jammu and Kashmir -: Jammu and Kashmir is a region in northern India. It used to be a state but is now a Union Territory, which means it is directly governed by the central government of India.
Assembly elections -: Assembly elections are when people vote to choose their representatives in the state or Union Territory’s legislative assembly. These representatives make important decisions and laws for the area.
Polling stations -: Polling stations are places where people go to vote during elections. They are usually set up in schools or community centers.
West Pakistani refugees -: West Pakistani refugees are people who came to India from West Pakistan (now Pakistan) a long time ago. They have now become Indian citizens and can vote in the elections for the first time.
Article 370 -: Article 370 was a special law that gave Jammu and Kashmir more autonomy than other states in India. It was removed in 2019, which changed how the region is governed.
Turnout -: Turnout means the number of people who actually go to vote in an election. A higher turnout means more people participated in the voting process.