Security tightened across J&K Ahead of first Phase of Assembly Elections

Srinagar: With just a week remaining before the first phase of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, security measures have been significantly heightened across the Union Territory.
Authorities have implemented extensive precautions to ensure a safe electoral process and prevent any potential disturbances.
The first phase of the assembly elections will cover 24 constituencies, including 16 in south Kashmir’s districts of Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian, and Pulwama. These elections, scheduled for September 18, mark the beginning of a process that will unfold in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1.
Reports said that the additional security personnel have been deployed in Srinagar, Jammu and all other districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
This involves setting up numerous checkpoints along the Srinagar-Jammu highway, where security personnel are meticulously monitoring traffic and increasing frisking at key locations. For the first phase of the elections, all units from various forces have been deployed, including the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
A police official stated, “The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) are being deployed in phases for the elections, and all companies have been stationed for the first phase as planned.”
Special attention is being given to critical polling locations in south Kashmir. Security strategies have been tailored to ensure maximum protection at these key sites. In Jammu, troops have been deployed along the Jammu-Udhampur highway and at essential junctions, with numerous checkpoints set up to monitor traffic and ensure safety.
Quick Response Teams (QRTs) and other specialized units will remain on high alert, with inter-district checkpoints established to maintain a secure environment for the polls. The top brass of police and paramilitary forces have conducted reviews of the security arrangements, including a comprehensive assessment of the situation in south Kashmir and along the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir.
On Tuesday, Kashmir Inspector General VK Birdi held a security and election review meeting at the Range Police Headquarters in Anantnag, south Kashmir. The meeting was focused on evaluating the overall security measures in place for the upcoming elections. A police spokesperson remarked, “The meeting aimed to review the overall security arrangements put in place in the South Kashmir Range for the upcoming Phase-1 elections.”
This is the first assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir in a decade and follows the revocation of the region’s special status and statehood five years ago. The upcoming polls are anticipated to be a crucial step toward the possible restoration of the Union territory’s statehood.