Jammu and Kashmir, Sep 25 (V7N)- Voting for the second phase of the assembly elections is underway in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, beginning at 7 AM local time under tight security. This phase covers 26 assembly constituencies across three districts in Kashmir — Badgam, Ganderbal, and Srinagar — and three districts in Jammu — Raisi, Rajouri, and Poonch.

According to the Election Commission of India, a total of 25.78 lakh people are eligible to vote in this round. Notable candidates include former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Congress's Tariq Hamid Karra, BJP's Rabindra Raina, and Altaf Bukhari, competing in a pool of 239 candidates.

With heightened security measures, paramilitary forces and police are ensuring safety across the polling areas, especially in Roissy, Rajouri, and Poonch, where separatist activities have recently been reported. This marks the first assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, which revoked the region's special constitutional status.

The first phase of polling on September 18 saw a 61.38% voter turnout. Following today's election, the final phase for 40 constituencies will take place on October 1, with results to be announced on October 8.

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