Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024: According to affidavits submitted to the Election Commission of India (ECI), at least 20 per cent of candidates in the second phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections have criminal charges pending against them which include the allegations of murder, rape, and some other serious offences.
Which party candidates are facing charges against them in 2nd phase?
Among those with criminal charges are four from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), four from the People's Democratic Party (PDP), two from Congress, and one from the National Conference (NC).
47 candidates face criminal charges
Out of the 238 candidates running in the second phase of the Jammu and Kashmir elections, 47 face criminal charges. This includes seven candidates accused of crimes against women, one of whom is facing a rape charge. Additionally, 37 candidates have other criminal cases against them, while three are charged with murder.
What are 'red-alert' constituencies?
The presence of these candidates has led the ECI to designate eight constituencies as red-alert constituencies. According to ECI guidelines, any constituency with three or more candidates facing criminal charges must be classified as a red alert.
The educational qualifications of the candidates are notably low. On average, candidates have completed education between the 5th and 12th grades, with one candidate declaring themselves as illiterate.
Among the candidates, 114 are graduates or have higher qualifications, while six have diploma-level education. The age distribution includes 84 candidates between 25-40 years, 105 between 41-60 years, and 49 between 61-80 years.
3 women candidates contesting polls in 2nd phase
Only three female candidates are contesting in the second phase of the J&K Assembly polls.
The primary contest in this phase is between the BJP and the NC-Congress alliance, with the PDP also competing.
When will Jammu-Kashmir vote?
Voting for the second phase is set for September 25 (Wednesday), with the third and final phase scheduled for October 1 (Tuesday).
When vote counting will take place in J-K?
Vote counting will occur on October 8 (Saturday).
Jammu and Kashmir has 90 Assembly seats following a recent delimitation, with 47 in the Kashmir division and 43 in the Jammu division, including nine ST seats and seven SC seats.
