Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections: 2nd phase sees competition from Omar, Ravinder Raina and Tariq Karra

People wait in a queue to cast their votes in Doda. Pic/PTI

Over 2.5 million voters from Jammu and Kashmir will decide the fate of 239 candidates in competition for the 26 assembly seats in the second phase of the election to be held on Wednesday, PTI reported.

These assembly constituencies are spread over six districts, with three in Kashmir Valley and another in the Jammu division.

"To facilitate smooth and hassle-free electoral participation, the Election Commission of India has established 3,502 polling stations in these segments. There are 1,056 urban polling stations and 2,446 rural polling stations," an official said to PTI.

As part of the Election Commission's efforts to ensure transparency, webcasting facilities will be available at all polling stations, according to officials.

"To enhance voter participation, 157 special polling stations have been established for the second phase, 26 'pink polling stations' managed by women, 26 polling stations manned by specially-abled persons, 26 polling stations manned by youths, 31 border polling stations, 26 green polling stations and 22 unique polling stations," the official said to PTI.

Voting will take place from 7 am to 6 pm on Wednesday.

Notable names in the fray for the second phase are former chief minister Omar Abdullah, JKPCC president Tariq Hamid Karra and BJP JK chief Ravinder Raina.

Abdullah is contesting from the Ganderbal and Budgam seats, while Karra is from Central Shalteng. Raina will be fighting to retain his Nowshera seat in the Rajouri district which he won back in the 2014 assembly elections.

This phase will be closely monitored as the National Conference leader faces off against jailed separatist leader Sarjan Ahmad Wagay, also known as Barkati, who hopes to repeat Engineer Rashid's victory in the Lok Sabha election, PTI reported.

Barkati is contesting from the Beerwah and Ganderbal segments.

Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid contested the parliamentary polls held earlier this year from Tihar jail and managed to defeat Abdullah in the Baramulla constituency by a margin of more than two lakh voters.

Other key candidates in this second phase are Altaf Bukhari (Channapora), the president of the Apni Party, former ministers of Jammu and Kashmir Ali Mohammad Sagar (Khanya), Abdul Rahim Rather (Chrar-i-Sharief), and Choudhary Zulfikar Ali (Budhal) and Syed Mushtaq Bukhari (Surankote).

Choudhary Zulfikar Ali and Syed Mushtaq Bukhari are contesting on behalf of the BJP this time.

As per PTI, an estimated 61.38 per cent of voters voted in the first phase of polling on September 18. The third phase will go to polls on October 1.

The votes will be counted on October 8.

According to PTI, during the third phase, 93 candidates will compete in Srinagar district, followed by 46 in the Budgam district, 34 in the Rajouri district, 25 in Poonch district, 21 in the Ganderbal district and 20 in the Reasi district.

The Srinagar district constituencies are Hazratbal, Khanyar, Habbakadal, Lal Chowk, Channapora, Zadibal, Central Shalteng and Eidgah.

The constituencies in Budgam district are Budgam, Beerwah, Khansahib, Chrar-I-Sharief and Chadoora while there are two constituencies in Ganderbal district - Kangan (ST) and Ganderbal.

The seats going to polls in Jammu division are Gulabgarh (ST), Reasi, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi (in Reasi district), Kalakote-Sunderbani, Nowshera, Rajouri (ST) (in Rajouri district), Budhal (ST), Thannamandi (ST), Surankote (ST), Poonch Haveli and Mendhar (ST) (Poonch district).

(With inputs from PTI)