Security tightened as 239 candidates vie for 26 seats in J&K's phase 2 polls today

Omar, Ravinder Raina, Tariq Karra among 239 candidates in fray

Over 2.5 million voters in Jammu and Kashmir will cast their ballots on Wednesday in the second phase of the Union Territory's Assembly elections. This crucial phase will see 239 candidates competing for 26 seats across six districts, with three in the Valley and three in the Jammu division.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has set up 3,502 polling stations to facilitate the voting process. Of these, 1,056 are in urban areas and 2,446 are in rural parts of the region. "All polling stations will have webcasting facilities to ensure transparency," an election official confirmed.

The voting process will commence at 7 am and conclude at 6 pm, with security forces already in place to ensure a peaceful and orderly election. Thousands of police, armed police, and central paramilitary forces have been deployed to maintain security at polling stations and surrounding areas. A multi-layered security blanket has been created around each polling booth to ensure an environment free from fear or intimidation.