 "First Assembly poll in 10 years: Voting in Jammu & Kashmir from today")
Seven districts of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), located on either side of Pir Panjal mountain range, will vote for the first time in an Assembly election in 10 years as the stage is set for phase-I polling in the union territory on Wednesday.
A total of 49 out of 238 candidates (21 per cent) contesting in Phase II of the Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) Assembly elections have declared criminal cases against themselves. Of these, 37 candidates (16 per cent) have serious criminal cases, including three charged with attempted murder under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 307. Additionally, seven candidates are implicated in crimes against women, with one candidate facing charges of rape under IPC Section 376, according to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
The wealth distribution among the candidates is also skewed, with 131 (55 per cent) being crorepatis. The average wealth of candidates in this election stands at Rs 5.80 crore.
Only 3 per cent of the candidates are women, highlighting a significant gender gap in political representation.The elections for the 90-member J & K Assembly will be in 3 phases on September 18, 25, and October 1.