KATHUA: District Election Officer (DEO) Dr. Rakesh Minhas today briefed the media regarding the upcoming election process in the Kathua District, set to commence on 5th September 2024 with the issuance of the Election Notification for all its six assembly segments.
Dr. Minhas explained that the nomination filing process will begin with the issuance of notifications by the respective Returning Officers (ROs).
The window for accepting nominations will be open from 5th to 12th September, excluding government holidays.
“Candidates are encouraged to visit the offices of the relevant ROs to submit their nominations, adhering strictly to the guidelines set by the Election Commission of India (ECI)” he added.
The scrutiny of the nominations will take place on 13th September, and candidates can withdraw their nominations till 17th September.
The DEO provided an overview of the District Election Profile, highlighting that Kathua comprises six assembly segments: 63-Bani, 64-Billawar, 65-Basohli, 66-Jasrota, 67-Kathua (SC), and 68-Hiranagar. The total number of electors across these segments is 502,978, including 57,999 in 63-Bani AC, (30,751 Male, 27,247 Female, 1 Third Gender; 94,651in 64-Billawar AC, (49,500 Male, 45,151 Female); 69,282 in 65-Basohli AC (36,343 Male, 32,937 Female, 2 Third Gender); 86,753 in 66-Jasrota AC (45,355 Male, 41,398 Female); 108,666 in 67-Kathua (SC) (57,090 Male, 51,576 Female); 87,939 in 68-Hiranagar AC (45,781 Male, 42,158 Female).
To ensure safe and secure electoral environment, Dr. Minhas assured that sufficient security personnel will be deployed across all segments of the district.
For the smooth conduct of the polling process, a total of 704 polling stations have been established, including 36 special polling stations tailored for various groups—namely Pink, Youth, PwD-manned, Green, Unique, Model, and Along Border polling stations—each located within their respective assembly constituencies.
This initiative aims to make the election process more inclusive and participative, in line with ECI guidelines.
The DEO also informed that the provision of Home Voting for 85 plus age voters is provisioned for which voters can apply to cast their vote on 20 and 21st September 2024 with the help of our Polling teams while maintaining the secrecy of voting.
The DEO also briefed the media about the District SVEEP (Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation) plan, designed to raise awareness about the value of voting and its role in selecting representatives of the people’s choice. He urged the citizens of Kathua to come out in large numbers to exercise their right to vote and actively participate in this essential democratic process.
Dr. Minhas called on media personnel to play a pivotal role in disseminating the message of SVEEP through the intensive campaigns being conducted by the Nodal Officers across all six assembly constituencies.
Pertinently, the Kathua District is slated to go for polls on October 01st 2024 under phase iii of the Assembly Elections-2024.