"We have deployed additional 220 companies of paramilitary security personnel, besides the police for the second phase of polling tomorrow (Tuesday) in the two districts of the Valley," Inspector General of Police Kashmir AG Mir said.Mir said based on the experience from the first phase of polling, "we have fine tuned our preparations for the second phase".
He said the security grid is fully geared up to foil any attempts of militants to disrupt the democratic process.
As many as 18 Assembly segments, spread over five districts -- two in the Valley and three in Jammu region – will go to polls on Tuesday to decide the fate of 175 candidates which includes the lone woman minister in the National Conference-Congress coalition government Sakina Ittoo.
All the 18 seats will witness a multi-cornered contest with Noorabad constituency having the highest number of 15 candidates, followed by Reasi (14), Handwara and Kupwara (12 each).
Ramanagar in Udhampur is having the least number of candidates at six while Chenani, Gulabgarh and Karnah have seven each.
A total of over 12 lakh voters will exercise their franchise at 1,900 polling stations established in the constituencies going to polls in second phase.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the star attraction of the campaign for second phase of the polls as he addressed two elections rallies last Friday at Udhampur and Poonch.
Leaders from other political parties also criss-crossed the Pir Panjal mountain range -- dividing Kashmir Valley and Jammu region -- in order garner support for their candidates.
Prominent among the campaigners were Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, Chief Minister of the state Omar Abdullah, PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and party president Mehbooba Mufti.
Polling will take place in 20 constituencies in Jharkhand spread across seven Maoist-hit tribal districts in the second of the five-stage elections to the 81-member Assembly.
Adequate security forces have been deployed in all the 20 constituencies, with 16 of them being reserved for tribals, and personnel have been asked to diligently follow standard operating procedures.
Altogether 44,31,900 voters, including 21,72,982 women, are eligible to exercise their franchise in 5,048 polling stations across the seven districts to elect their representatives from among 223 candidates, including 35 women.
Former chief ministers Arjun Munda and Madhu Koda are among the candidates in the fray.
The seven districts going to the polls area Seraikella-Kharsawan, West Singhbhum, East Singhbhum, Khunti, Simdega, Ranchi and Gumla.
In the 20 seats which are going to polls in the second phase, BJP had eight MLAs, JMM five, Congress two and rest were held by Independents and other parties in the last Assembly elections.
While a maximum 15 candidates are in the fray for Jamshedpur (West) constituency, minimum eight nominees are contesting from Kharswan, Majhgaon, Torpa and Jagannathpur constituencies each.
The BJP, Congress and JVM have fielded four women candidates each. The BJP is contesting in 18 seats in this phase, leaving two - Tamar and Jugsalai - for its pre-poll alliance partner, the Ajsu party.
The Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM-Prajatantrik) and Trinamool Congress are contesting in a pre-poll alliance, with the JVM-P fielding candidates in 18 seats, conceding two seats to the TMC.
Despite running the state government after snapping ties, the JMM and Congress are contesting against each other in all the 20 constituencies.
Source: News and India News
