displaced Kashmiri pandits to vote in J&K polls

As many as 3,655 displaced Kashmiri pandits would exercise their right of franchise in four assembly segments of Kupwara district which go to polls in the third leg of the seven-phase elections in Jammu and Kashmir on November 30.

"The Kashmiri pandits have submitted their forms and they will exercise their right of franchise on Wednesday for the four constituencies of Kupwara district," Vinod Koul, relief commissioner, told PTI.

Giving further details, Koul said that 1,489 pandits in Handwara assembly segment, 990 in Kupwara, 493 in Lolab and 683 in Langate segment were registered as voters in this north Kashmir district. Nine special elections booths have been set up for the purpose, he elaborated.

A total of 72,713 displaced pandits of the Kashmir Valley would vote through Electronic Voting Machines directly at 14 different polling stations set up in various cities of the country, Harcharan Singh, deputy chief electoral officer, said.

Fourteen polling stations for them have been set up in New Delhi, Udhampur and Jammu where they would directly vote through EVMs apart from the postal ballot paper facility being made available to them.

The polling stations in Jammu are Women College, Gandhi Nagar, Canderbaga Community Centre, Canal Road; Director School Education Muthi, Community Centre Purkhoo, Economics and Statistics department Janipur, Agriculture office Tallab Tilloo, Migrant School Roopnagar. Community Hall Nagrota, Community Hall Mishriwala and District Industries Centre building at Udhampur.