Political campaigning across Jammu and Kashmir reached a decisive crescendo on Sunday as national and regional parties mobilized across 40 assembly constituencies ahead of the third and final phase of the Union Territory's landmark Legislative Assembly elections. Spanning seven districts—Jammu, Udhampur, Kathua, and Samba in the Jammu division, alongside Baramulla, Bandipora, and Kupwara in north Kashmir—this concluding round of voting represents the largest single phase of the three-stage electoral exercise, the first assembly poll held in the region in a decade.
According to official figures compiled by the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Jammu and Kashmir and the Election Commission of India (ECI), more than 3.91 million eligible citizens are registered to cast their ballots in the final phase, where 415 candidates are contesting seats across urban commercial hubs, agrarian plains, and high-altitude frontier sectors along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border. Following robust voter participation of 61.38 percent in the opening phase and 57.31 percent in the second round, electoral authorities have deployed extensive logistical resources to ensure seamless polling across 5,060 designated polling stations.
High-Stakes Contests Across Jammu Plains and North Kashmir
The arithmetic of the 90-member Legislative Assembly places extraordinary weight on the 40 seats up for grabs in the third phase. Twenty-four of these constituencies lie in the densely populated plains and foothills of Jammu, Udhampur, Kathua, and Samba, while 16 are distributed across the northern Kashmir valley districts of Baramulla, Kupwara, and Bandipora. Senior national campaigners and regional leaders conducted back-to-back rallies, roadshows, and town-hall meetings over the weekend, centering their appeals on youth employment, horticultural and industrial investment, restoration of full statehood, electricity tariff relief, and regional infrastructure modernization.
In north Kashmir's Baramulla and Kupwara districts, where border communities have historically navigated security challenges, newly improved road connectivity and recent ceasefire stability along frontier sectors have reshaped campaign dynamics. Candidates representing major parties, regional alliances, and independent platforms have traversed remote mountain panchayats in Gurez, Karnah, and Uri, engaging first-time youth voters, Pahari and Gujjar-Bakarwal communities, and apple growers seeking cold-storage and transport subsidies.
“The enthusiastic participation of voters across both divisions of Jammu and Kashmir demonstrates unwavering faith in constitutional democracy and grassroots governance.”
Multi-Tier Security and Inclusive Polling Infrastructure
To guarantee a peaceful and transparent vote ahead of the mandatory 48-hour silence period before polling day, civil and police administrations have implemented a coordinated multi-tier security grid involving Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), Jammu and Kashmir Police, and specialized area-domination patrols. Every polling station in the third phase has been equipped with live webcasting technology, assured minimum facilities including drinking water and medical first-aid kits, and dedicated ramps and volunteer assistance for elderly voters and persons with disabilities.
The Election Commission has also established theme-based model polling booths—including pink booths managed entirely by women personnel, youth-manned stations, and green eco-friendly booths—alongside special polling stations for Kashmiri migrant voters in Jammu, Udhampur, and Delhi. With counting of ballots across all 90 constituencies scheduled for early October, the outcome of the final phase will play a pivotal role in determining the composition of Jammu and Kashmir's first elected legislative government since 2014.
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