Jharkhand vote in final phase assembly polls, while Jammu &Kashmir is on high Alert

As Jammu and Kashmir votes in Fifth and final leg of assembly election mms yesterday several high profile candidates, including Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, will try their luck on 20 seats spread over three districts, amid a strong security deployment.

Unfazed by the November 27 militant attack in Arnia border belt of Jammu district in which 12 people, including g 5 civilians and four militants were killed , high pitched campaign continued till Thursday evening.

213 candidates including ministries Sham LAl sharma, Raman Bhalla, Manohar lal sharma, Ajay Sadhotra former MPs and ministries Lal singh, Talib Hussain and Jitendra Babu Singh and former Deputy Speaker Hyder Malik are battling it out in this phase.

Around 18, 28,904 eligible voters, comprising 9, 59,011 men and 8, 69,891 women, are expected to exercise their franchise at 2,366 polling stations set up across the three border districts.

While the Divisional commissioner said, “Security grid along the India-Pakistan border has been put on alert Multi-tier security has been put in place. A contingency plan has been drawn in case any firing takes place from the Pakistan side during polling and alternative polling stations have been set up for such case.

Among other prominent candidates are Jharkhand Assembly Speaker Shashank Shekhar Bhokta, minister Lobin Hembrom, Sita Soren, who is the daughter in law of Shibu Soren and sister in law of the state chief minister, Former minister Simon M and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha principal general secretary Pradeep Yadav,BJP national secretary Louise M, Hemlal Murmu.

Around 22,240 securities personal have been deployed in the fifth phase.