Baramulla: The political campaign for the fifth phase of parliamentary elections in the Baramulla constituency ended on Saturday, with section 144 CrPC being imposed until May 21 as part of ECI's standard operating procedure.
Returning Officer Minga Sherpa stated on Saturday that all necessary arrangements, including security, are in place for the smooth conduct of the polls.
“Improved security situations, absence of boycott or hartal calls, and active political campaigning are expected to result in a historic voter turnout," he said.
Addressing a press conference, he mentioned that the district is prepared for any eventualities, including network connectivity issues at eight polling stations—six in Uri and two in Rafiabad—which will be managed with wireless communication.
The RO provided further details on the election arrangements, announcing that a total of 905 polling booths have been set up across 722 locations in the Baramulla district, which has 715,000 eligible voters. "In total, 2103 polling stations have been established in the Baramulla Parliamentary Constituency. Among these, 905 polling booths in Baramulla district are designated as critical stations, with robust security arrangements in place," he said.
"Over 200 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed by the district police in Baramulla and Sopore. Additionally, over 40,000 first-time voters have been enrolled," he said.
The Baramulla Parliamentary Constituency, divided into 18 assembly segments, has 1.74 million eligible voters. Minga Sherpa urged all eligible voters to contribute to the democratic process and shape the nation's future by participating in the elections on May 20.
Responding to a query, he said there was cooperation from political party candidates and minimal violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) were recorded. He thanked them for their "spirited and disciplined" campaign.
The Baramulla Lok Sabha segment elections, scheduled for May 20, will see 22 candidates contesting, including National Conference's Omar Abdullah, People's Conference's Sajad Gani Lone, Mir Fayaz Ahmed of the Peoples Democratic Party, and Er Rashid of the Awami Ittihad Party, among others.
(KNO)