Polling underway in four Poonch constituencies as AJK elections enter third phase
- Elections in five constituencies of Poonch, two in Sudhanoti have been postponed
Polling is underway in four constituencies for the third phase of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections, with 72 candidates, including current and former prime ministers, vying for seats.
- High-profile candidates, including current and former prime ministers.
- Significance of results for the next AJK government.
- Overall party standings from previous election phases.
Polling is underway in four constituencies in Bagh and Haveli districts as the third phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections began on Monday, with 72 candidates, including the incumbent prime minister and two former premiers, in the fray, Aaj News reported.
Voting began in the morning and will continue until 5pm without a break, allowing around 460,000 registered voters in the four constituencies to exercise their right to vote.
Following changes to the election schedule, polling is being held today in three constituencies of Bagh district and one in Haveli, while elections in five constituencies of Poonch district and two in Sudhanoti have been postponed.
In LA-14 Bagh, 21 candidates are contesting, including former AJK prime minister Sardar Atiq Ahmed Khan. Another former prime minister, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas, is among 20 candidates contesting LA-15 Bagh.
LA-16 Bagh has 22 candidates in the race, while nine candidates, including incumbent AJK Prime Minister Faisal Rathore, are contesting LA-17 Haveli.
The presence of the leaders of the Muslim Conference and the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) in the four constituencies has further intensified the political contest.
The chief election commissioner AJK said around 460,000 voters were expected to cast their ballots in the four constituencies. He said comprehensive security arrangements had been put in place to facilitate voters and maintain law and order.
The final phase assumes significance as its results are expected to determine the composition of the next AJK government.
In the first phase, polling was held for 13 seats in the Mirpur division, where the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won nine seats and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) secured four.
The second phase covered nine seats in the Muzaffarabad division and 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees. According to the results available so far, the PML-N won 15 seats while the PPP secured six.
Overall, the PML-N is currently leading with 24 seats in the 45-member AJK Legislative Assembly, followed by the PPP with 10 seats.
The results of Monday’s polling will complete the electoral process and play a crucial role in determining the future political setup in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
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