Srinagar,April 27-– Anantnag Parliamentary constituency (PC), which is going to polls on April 30 in the third phase of five-phased Lok Sabha elections in J&K is the largest in terms of electorate, number of districts as well as Assembly segments in the Kashmir division. Jammu PC is the biggest Parliamentary constituency in the State, followed by Udhampur PC where polling has already been held in the first and second phase.
As many as 11,65,951 electors including 6,11,958 male and 5,53,993 female voters have the right to vote in four districts of Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag, spread over 16 Assembly segments. Srinagar Parliamentary constituency comes next with 11,02,451 electors, followed by Baramulla with 10,54,086 registered voters.
Srinagar and Baramulla PCs have 15 Assembly segments each, for which voting will be held in fourth and fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections in the State.
Ladakh Lok Sabha seat is the smallest, both in terms of electorate and Assembly segments. Only 1,52,391 electors will vote in four Assembly segments of Nobra, Leh in Leh district and Kargil and Zanskar in Kargil district on May 13.
In Anantnag Parliamentary constituency, where 13 candidates are in fray, Kulgam and Shopian will vote for Parliamentary elections for the first time as independent districts.
The 16 Assembly segments of Anantnag PC where polling will be held in third phase are Tral, Pampore, Pulwama and Rajpora in Pulwama district, Wachi and Shopian in Shopian district, Noorabad, Kulgam, Homeshalibug and Devsar in Kulgam district and Anantnag, Dooru, Kokernag, Shangas, Bijbehara and Pahalgam in Anantnag district.
The Election Commission of India has appointed three Election Observers and 160 Micro Observers for ensuring free, fair and transparent elections in the constituency. While one Election Observer has been appointed for Anantnag and Kulgam each, another will monitor electoral process in Pulwama and Shopian districts.
A total of 1,485 polling stations, again the largest in Kashmir division, have also been set up across the constituency to facilitate voters on polling day.
As per the poll schedule for Anantnag Lok Sabha seat, notification was issued on April 2 while as the last day of filing nomination was April 9. Scrutiny of papers took place on April 10 while as last day for withdrawal of candidatures was April 15. Polling in the constituency will be held on April 30.
In 1967 elections, Anantnag Parliamentary constituency was represented by Congress candidate Mr. Mohammad Shafi Qureshi while as in 1971 midterm polls, the constituency was again represented by Mr. Qureshi, this time, however, on NC ticket. In 1977 Lok Sabha elections, the seat was yet again won by Mr. Qureshi on INC ticket. In the midterm 1980 Parliamentary elections, the seat was won by Mr. Ghulam Rasool Kochak of NC while as in 1984, the seat was won by Begum Akbar Jahan of NC. In 1989 General Election, Anantnag Lok Sabha seat was won by Mr. P.L. Handoo of NC while as in 1996, the seat went to Mr. M. M. Dar on JD ticket. In 1998, the seat was won by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on INC ticket while as in 1999, the constituency was represented by Mr. Ali Mohammad Naik of NC.
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