Srinagar/Jammu, Nov 11 (IANS) Polling started peacefully on Tuesday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam and Nagrota Assembly constituencies as voters turned out in large numbers to exercise their democratic right.

Budgam constituency has 1.76 lakh voters, and 173 polling stations have been set up for the electors in the constituency.

The voters were seen wearing traditional tweed overgarments called ‘Pherans’ as they came out in the morning, while women did not come out in large numbers, as they prefer to complete household chores before going out to the polling booths.

Despite the morning chill, voters came out as queues started building up outside polling stations.

Voting started at 7 a.m. and will end at 6 p.m. There are 17 candidates in the fray in Budgam, including Aga Syed Mehmood of the National Conference (NC) and Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the main contenders.

Others in the fray here include Aga Syed Mohsin of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Nazir Ahmad Khan of Awami Ittehad Party, Deeba Khan of Aam Aadmi Party and Mohiuddin Muntazir, Independent.

The bypoll was necessitated in Budgam because NC vice president and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah resigned from this constituency after winning from here in the October 2024 assembly elections.

Voters turned out in large numbers in Nagrota, where 10 candidates are in fray as the main contest is between Devyani Rana of the BJP, Shamim Begum of the NC and Harsh Dev Singh of J&K National Panthers Party.

Nagrota bypoll became necessary after BJP MLA Devender Singh Rana passed away on October 31, 2024. BJP has fielded Devender Singh Rana’s daughter, Devyani, from Nagrota, and in addition to the constituency being a stronghold of the BJP, a sympathy wave was also seen for the late Rana’s daughter during the campaigning process.

For 97,893 eligible voters, 150 polling stations have been set up in the Nagrota constituency.

At vulnerable places in both Budgam and Nagrota Assembly constituencies, paramilitary and police personnel have been deployed in strength.

Poll officials said all necessary arrangements have been put in place for smooth polling as polling staff, static and mobile surveillance teams and magistrates have been deployed across booths in Budgam and Nagrota constituencies.

–IANS

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