JK polls sees competition from Omar, Ravinder Raina and Tariq Karra in 2nd phase

Over 25 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 reportedThese assembly constituencies are spread over six districts with three in Kashmir Valley and another in the Jammu divisionTo facilitate smooth and hasslefree electoral participation the Election Commission of India has established 3502 polling stations in these segments There are 1056 urban polling stations and 2446 rural polling stations an official said to PTIAs part of the Election Commissions efforts to ensure transparency webcasting facilities will be available at all polling stations according to officialsTo 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 speciallyabled persons 26 polling stations manned by youths 31 border polling stations 26 green polling stations and 22 unique polling stations the official said to PTIVoting will take place from 7 am to 6 pm on WednesdayNotable names in the fray for the second phase are former chief minister Omar Abdullah JKPCC president Tariq Hamid Karra and BJP JK chief Ravinder RainaAbdullah 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 electionsThis 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 Rashids victory in the Lok Sabha election PTI reportedBarkati is contesting from the Beerwah and Ganderbal segmentsSheikh 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 votersOther 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 ChrariSharief and Choudhary Zulfikar Ali Budhal and Syed Mushtaq Bukhari SurankoteChoudhary Zulfikar Ali and Syed Mushtaq Bukhari are contesting on behalf of the BJP this timeAs per PTI an estimated 6138 per cent of voters voted in the first phase of polling on September 18 The third phase will go to polls on October 1The votes will be counted on October 8According 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 districtThe Srinagar district constituencies are Hazratbal Khanyar Habbakadal Lal Chowk Channapora Zadibal Central Shalteng and EidgahThe constituencies in Budgam district are Budgam Beerwah Khansahib ChrarISharief and Chadoora while there are two constituencies in Ganderbal district Kangan ST and GanderbalThe seats going to polls in Jammu division are Gulabgarh ST Reasi Shri Mata Vaishno Devi in Reasi district KalakoteSunderbani Nowshera Rajouri ST in Rajouri district Budhal ST Thannamandi ST Surankote ST Poonch Haveli and Mendhar ST Poonch districtWith inputs from PTI