Farooq Abdullah to Run for J&K Assembly Elections After a Decade

Farooq Abdullah announces his candidacy in the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, slated for three phases starting September 18. Omar Abdullah will not contest. The elections will be the first in a decade, with results due on October 4. A total of 87.09 lakh voters will participate.

National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah declared on Friday his intention to contest the forthcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, scheduled to occur in three phases beginning September 18. 'I will contest these elections, while Omar Abdullah will not. Once the state's status is restored, Omar will run from my seat,' Farooq Abdullah stated.

The assembly elections in the Union Territory are set to unfold in three phases, with the first round on September 18, the second on September 25, and the final phase on October 1. Vote counting is slated for October 4, said Rajiv Kumar at a press conference in the national capital.

Key dates include August 27 for the first phase's nominations, September 5 for the second, and September 12 for the third phase. Jammu and Kashmir comprises 90 assembly constituencies: 74 General, nine ST, and seven SC. With a decade-long hiatus since the last polls in 2014, the electorate stands at 87.09 lakh, with 44.46 lakh male, 42.62 lakh female, and 169 transgender voters among them. The PDP-BJP coalition government collapsed in June 2018, leading to this long-anticipated election cycle.