Jitendra, the Union Minister, would definitely lose today’s poll in Udhampur

In every district under the Udhampur Lok Sabha seat, where elections are scheduled for this Friday and the candidates of the BJP, Congress, and DPAP will compete, extensive security measures have been put in place.

In the midst of heavy security, voting parties for the Udhampur seat were sent to their designated polling places. These parties are equipped with electronic voting machines (EVMs) and other necessary supplies to guarantee a seamless election process.

Voters’ interest and eagerness are heightened by the fact that a total of twelve candidates are vying for the seat in the first round. The leading contenders in the race are Jitendra Singh, a Union Minister for the BJP and the current Member of Parliament for the constituency; Choudhary Lal Singh, a Congress candidate; and GM Saroori of the DPAP.

The administration and relevant authorities have also mandated that Friday’s school sessions be suspended.

Eighteen Assembly segments, including five districts (Kishtwar, Doda, Ramban, Udhampur, and Kathua), comprise the constituency’s 16.23 lakh voters.

Covering a vast region of 16,707 square kilometers, the constituency has a heterogeneous population of 16,23,195 registered voters. 8,45,283 men, 7,77,899 women, and 13 people who identify as third genders are among them, demonstrating the inclusion of the democratic process.

With three Assembly divisions (Inderwal, Kishtwar, and Padder Nagseni) in the Kishtwar district, a total of 1,75,897 electors—90,256 men and 85,641 women—are ready to exercise their right to vote.Along with Bhaderwah, Doda, and Doda West Assembly segments, Doda district provides 3,05,093 voters to the electoral list. These voters are made up of 1,57,375 men, 1,47,711 women, and seven third-gender electors.

The Ramban district, which includes the Ramban and Banihal Assembly parts, has 2,19,124 registered voters, of whom 1,13,814 are male and 1,05,310 are female.With 4,19,854 electors—2,19,890 male and 1,99,964 female—Udhampur District, which includes four Assembly segments—Udhampur West, Udhampur East, Chenani, and Ramnagar—has a large number of voters.

With six Assembly segments—Bani, Billawar, Basohli, Jasrota, Kathua, and Hiranagar—the Kathua district is expected to witness a high turnout of 5,03,227 registered voters, including 2,63,948 men, 2,39,273 women, and six electors who identify as third genders.

To guarantee the accuracy and integrity of the election process, the Election Commission of India has deployed 3,658 ballot units, 3,570 control units, and 3,636 VVPATs (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail).