Srinagar, May 19 : The stage is set for the Baramulla Parliamentary Constituency which goes to polls on Monday amid stepped-up security arrangements put in place for the smooth conduct of the elections.

An estimated 17.32 lakh voters including 8,62,000 female voters besides 34 third gender, around 17128 Persons with Disability, and 527 persons above the age of 100 years will be exercising their franchise in 18 assembly segments of the constituency on Monday, officials said.

As many as 2,103 polling stations have been set up in the fifth phase across 4 districts of Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora, and parts of Budgam where more than 8,000 polling staff, including reserves, will be deployed on duty on the polling day. Besides, there are 28 border polling stations in Kupwara and Baramulla districts.

Of the four districts, Baramulla, Kupwara, and Bandipora share borders with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police R R Swain visited the forward areas of the border district of Kupwara on Saturday and took stock of the security arrangements made for the elections.

“In the context of the information, that to disrupt the ongoing general elections and the hostile intentions of the national security adversaries across and their proxies within, the DGP Swain paid a visit to the forward areas in Karnah Sector and held discussions with the Army officers to understand and analyse infiltration attempts and current efforts to counter them”, Police said.

DGP was briefed by army officers including GOC 28 Div Maj Gen Girish Kalia and Brig N K Dhas on the steps taken to thwart any attempt made by the anti-national activists to disrupt the elections.

There will be 18 polling booths managed by women (also called as pink polling stations), 17 polling booths manned by specially-abled persons, and 18 by youths.

The voting will take place from 7.00 AM to 6.00 PM and can be continued even after 6.00 PM, if the voter’s queue is still there in the Polling Station premises to exercise their right to vote.

The voters will decide the fate of the 22 candidates who are in the fray and among them, the prominent are National Conference Vice President and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Peoples Conference Chairman Sajad Lone, Peoples Democratic Party candidate Fayaz Mir and jailed Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) Chief Abdul Rashid Sheikh alias Engineer Rsahid who is contesting as an independent candidate from the prestigious seat.

The Baramulla Lok Sabha seat is dominated by the National Conference which has won most times.

A multi-tier security apparatus will be deployed outside every polling station of the constituency and all vulnerable coroners besides roads, lanes, and by-lanes will also be manned by the security forces to thwart any attempt by the anti-national elements to disrupt the voting process.

Meanwhile, polling staff along with poll material and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) have been dispatched to their concerned polling stations under a tight security arrangement.

UNI