J&K Assembly Elections 2024 Live Updates: Voters queue up outside a polling station in Mallora area of Srinagar as the second phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections continues. (Express Photo Shoaib Masoudi)
Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024 Live: With the second phase of polling for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly beginning this morning, a group of diplomats from 16 foreign missions arrived in Srinagar on Wednesday to “observe” the voting. Former Chief Minister and senior National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, however, termed them as “guided tourists”. He said that if diplomats can be brought here, why are foreign journalists not being allowed to come here and cover the elections… Diplomats are being brought here as guided tourists.
11 am 24.10% voter turnout: The second phase of polling is underway in 26 constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir, with 24.10 percent votes cast at 11 am. Officials told PTI that long queues of people were seen outside the polling booths amid tight security. This phase, which includes 15 constituencies in Kashmir division and 11 constituencies in Jammu, will determine the fate of high-profile faces like Abdullah, BJP's Jammu and Kashmir chief Ravinder Raina. J&K Congress leader Tariq Hameed Qara is also in the fray from the Central Shalting seat.
Key Competitions and Candidates: In his family stronghold of Ganderbal, Abdullah will be pitted against PDP state secretary Bashir Ahmed Mir and jailed Alam and Azad surgeon Barkati. In Budgam – Umar's second contest – the former chief minister's key rival is PDP's Agha Syed Muntar Mehdi. The Chinnapura assembly seat may also see a contest between his own party chief Altaf Bukhari, NC candidate and businessman Mushtaq Guru, PDP's Muhammad Iqbal Tarambo, and BJP's Hilal Ahmad Wani.
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