The Kathua district in Jammu and Kashmir is fully prepared for the third and final phase of the Assembly Elections scheduled for October 1. A total of 704 polling parties have been dispatched to their respective stations, equipped with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs), all under strict security.

The district comprises six Assembly Constituencies (ACs)—Bani, Billawar, Basohli, Jasrota, Kathua, and Hiranagar—with a total electorate of 5,06,679. This includes 2,65,420 male voters, 2,41,256 female voters, and three voters of the third gender.

In an effort to facilitate seamless electoral participation, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has set up 704 polling stations, with 73 located in urban areas and 631 in rural areas.

Among the six constituencies, Kathua (SC) AC has the highest number of registered voters, totaling 1,09,000, with 57,243 males and 51,757 females. The constituency has 131 polling stations, including 57 in urban and 74 in rural areas.

Billawar AC follows with 94,845 registered voters, comprising 49,590 males and 45,255 females. A total of 130 polling stations have been set up, with four in urban and 126 in rural areas.

Hiranagar AC has 88,261 voters, of which 45,913 are males and 42,348 are females. The constituency will operate 110 polling stations, seven in urban and 103 in rural areas.

Jasrota AC has 87,092 registered voters, with 45,495 males and 41,597 females. A total of 132 polling stations, all in rural areas, have been established.

Basohli AC has a voter population of 69,407, with 36,396 males, 33,009 females, and two third-gender voters. The constituency has 107 polling stations, five in urban and 102 in rural areas.

Lastly, Bani AC has 58,074 registered voters, including 30,783 males, 27,290 females, and one transgender voter. A network of 94 rural polling stations has been set up in this constituency.

To encourage voter participation and ensure ease of voting, specialized polling stations have been introduced across the district, including all-women Pink polling stations, stations managed by persons with disabilities (PwD), youth-manned polling stations, and Green Polling Stations.

As the district prepares for voting in the third phase of the General Elections to the Legislative Assembly, all necessary arrangements have been made to ensure a smooth and peaceful polling process. Voting will take place on October 1.

(ANI)