GNS ONLINE NEWS PORTAL

Day: September 12, 2024

  • Brief exchange of fire with terrorists; hand grenade, ammunition recovered.

    Brief exchange of fire with terrorists; hand grenade, ammunition recovered.

    GNS ONLINE NEWS PORTAL

    SHYAM SOOD 

    RAJOURI SEPT 12:-A group of 2-3 terrorists hiding in a forest near village Draba in Surankot subdivision of Poonch district escaped from the scene after a brief exchange of fire with Special Operation Group (SOG) of Poonch Police.
    A team of SOG had launched a search and destroy operation in the morning in the general area Khoriwali & Machaki on Thursday after inputs of suspicious movement of three militants.
    Sources said in the afternoon hiding militants opened fire on the SOG party which was retaliated by the SOG personnel.
    After a brief exchange of fire, militants escaped from the scene however, no injury was reported.
    Sources added, troops of 16 RR were rushed to the area to further intensify the search for the fleeing terrorists.
    During a thorough search of the area, the SOG team found a terrorists hideout and recovered an AK rifle magazine, one hand grenade, one blanket and packets of dry fruits.
    Security Forces’ operation is a significant blow to terror activities in the region & has timely prevented potential harm to civilians/SFs.
    Security Forces are committed to root out militancy from the region for maintaining peace.
    Efforts are on to identify, track and eliminate the fleeing terrorists.

  • Kokernag to witness first-ever major contest between three Choudharys – all ST candidates

    GNS ONLINE NEWS PORTAL

    NC’s Zaffar Choudhary, PDP’s Haroon Choudhary, Independent Gulzar Choudhary main contenders; role of Peerzada Sayed, non-ST voters vital

    SRINAGAR SEPT 12:-(KNO): For the very first time, Kokernag in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district is witnessing a major political contest between Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates, with substantial support from the non-ST population.

    According to details obtained by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), there are 10 candidates – most of them Choudharys – in the fray. However, according to political analysts, the main contest is between three Choudharys: National Conference’s Zaffar Choudhary, People’s Democratic Party’s Haroon Choudhary and Independent candidate Gulzar Choudhary.

    Kokernag in Anantnag was designated as an ST-reserved seat during the delimitation process conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) after Jammu and Kashmir’s bifurcation into two Union Territories and the abrogation of its special status under Article 370.

    AC 42-Kokernag (ST) includes 91,280 voters (46,840 males, 44,439 females, and one transgender voter) with 123 polling stations (five urban and 118 rural).

    Zaffar Choudhary

    Zaffar Choudhary, representing the National Conference (NC), has a long-standing political lineage, as his father, Choudhary Mohd Shafi, was a senior Congress leader and legislator. Zaffar began his political career in 2008 with NC but switched to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2014, serving as Minister of State during the PDP-BJP coalition government. He resigned from PDP in 2018 and rejoined NC. He is considered one of the main contenders for the seat.

    Haroon Choudhary

    Choudhary Haroon Khatana, a prominent tribal leader from Kokernag, recently resigned from the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) and joined the PDP. He had previously been affiliated with the National Conference before moving to DPAP. Khatana enjoys a solid vote share in his area and is emerging as one of the key contenders for the seat.

    Choudhary Gulzar

    Choudhary Gulzar is contesting the election as an independent candidate and has garnered support from prominent individuals in the area. Recently, Talib Hussian Choudhary, who was previously associated with PDP, extended his support to Gulzar, making him a serious contender who could upset the other candidates.

    The role of non-ST voters

    Political analysts believe that the role of non-ST leaders is crucial, as non-ST votes may determine the outcome of the election. Peerzada Mohammad Sayed, the NC-Congress alliance candidate for the Anantnag main seat, is a voter in the Kokernag constituency, and his support for the NC candidate could be instrumental in garnering non-ST votes.

    Similarly, PDP leaders like Ab Salam Reshie and others could play a vital role in securing non-ST votes for the PDP candidate.

    According to analysts, the candidate who successfully attracts non-ST voters is more likely to emerge victorious.

    Out of around 92,000 registered voters, only 28,000 are ST voters, while over 63,000 are non-ST voters, underscoring the critical importance of non-ST votes in the upcoming election—(KNO)

  • 483 candidates file nominations for 3rd Phase scrutiny Of Papers To Be Held Today, Withdrawal By Sept 17

    GNS ONLINE NEWS PORTAL

    JAMMU SEPT 12(GNS): As many as 483 candidates have filed their nomination papers across 40 Assembly Constituencies (ACs) of seven districts of Jammu and Kashmir which are going to polling in the third and final phase of J&K Assembly Election 2024.

    Thursday was the last day of filing nomination papers for the third phase of Assembly Election scheduled to be held on 01 October, 2024.

    A total of 483 candidates have filed 518 nomination papers for the third phase of the forthcoming Assembly Election 2024, a statement from the office of Chief Electoral Officer informed.

    A total of 122 candidates have filed their nominations in Jammu district, followed by 111 in Baramulla district, 80 in Kupwara district, 50 in Bandipora district, 47 in Kathua district, 40 in Udhampur district, while 33 candidates have filed nominations in Samba district.

    In Jammu division, for the four ACs in Udhampur district, a total of 13 candidates have filed nomination from 59-Udhampur West AC; 11 from 60-Udhampur East AC; 9 from 61-Chenani AC; while 7 candidates have filed nomination from 62-Ramnagar (SC) AC.
    For the six ACs in Kathua district, 9 candidates have filed nomination from 63-Bani AC; 5 from 64-Billawar AC; 7 from 65-Basohli AC; 10 from 66-Jasrota AC; 6 from 67-Kathua (SC) AC; while 10 candidates have filed nomination from 68-Hiranagar AC.

    In Samba district, 7 candidates have filed nomination from 69-Ramgarh (SC) AC; 15 from 70-Samba AC; while 11 candidates have filed nomination from 71-Vijaypur AC.

    For the eleven ACs in Jammu district, a total of 13 candidates have filed nomination from 72-Bishnah (SC) AC; 14 from 73-Suchetgarh (SC) AC; 14 from 74-R.S. Pura – Jammu South AC; 12 from 75-Bahu AC; 10 from 76-Jammu East AC; 8 from 77-Nagrota AC; 13 from 78-Jammu West AC; 17 from 79-Jammu North AC; 6 from 80-Marh (SC) AC; 5 from 81-Akhnoor (SC) AC; while 10 candidates have filed nomination from 82-Chhamb AC.

    Similarly, in Kashmir Division, for the six ACs in Kupwara district, a total of 12 candidates have filed nomination from 1-Karnah AC; 13 from 2-Trehgam AC; 9 from 3-Kupwara AC; 13 from 4-Lolab AC; 11 from 5-Handwara AC; while 22 candidates have filed nomination from 6-Langate AC.

    For the seven ACs in Baramulla district, 23 candidates have filed nomination from 7-Sopore AC; 14 from 8-Rafiabad AC; 7 from 9-Uri AC; 26 from 10-Baramulla AC; 14 from 11-Gulmarg AC; 13 from 12-Wagoora- Kreeri AC; while 14 candidates have filed nomination from 13-Pattan AC.

    In Bandipora district, 22 candidates have filed nomination from 14-Sonawari AC; 23 from 15-Bandipora AC; while 5 candidates have filed nomination from 16-Gurez (ST) AC.

    The notification for the 3rd Phase was issued on 5 September, 2024 and the last date for filing the nominations was today, i.e. 12 September, 2024 till 3:00 pm.

    The nomination papers will be scrutinized by the respective Returning Officers on 13 September, 2024, while the candidates can withdraw their nomination paper by or before 17 September, 2024 upto 3:00 pm in the office of Returning Officer.

    Thereafter, validly nominated candidates will be in the electoral fray.

    The polling day for these 40 Assembly constituencies in 3rd Phase is scheduled for October 01, 2024, and the voting will be conducted from 07:00 AM to 06:00 PM.(GNS)

  • DEO Rajouri reviews measures for strengthening MCC enforcement

    DEO Rajouri reviews measures for strengthening MCC enforcement

    GNS ONLINE NEWS PORTAL

    RAJOURI, SEPT 12— In a significant step towards ensuring the smooth conduct of the upcoming Assembly Elections 2024, District Election Officer (DEO), Abhishek Sharma, chaired a meeting with Tehsildars and Naib Tehsildars, here today to review the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and election preparedness in the district.

    During the meeting, the DEO emphasized the critical role of Tehsildars and Naib Tehsildars in enforcing the MCC and ensuring fair, transparent and peaceful elections. He directed the officers to remain vigilant and ensure that the MCC is strictly adhered to by all political parties and candidates, preventing any violations that could disrupt the electoral process. He urged the officers to take prompt and decisive action in cases of any breach.

    The DEO also highlighted the importance of the proper functioning of the Static Surveillance Teams (SST) and Flying Squad Teams (FST), tasked with monitoring the movement of cash, liquor, and other items intended to unduly influence voters. The officers were instructed to ensure round-the-clock monitoring and report any suspicious activities immediately to the district control room.

    Further, the DEO laid stress on maintaining law and order across the district during the election period. He called for close coordination with law enforcement agencies to prevent any incidents of violence or disruption and to create an atmosphere conducive to peaceful voting.

    Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Rajouri, Rajiv Sharma, who was also present in the meeting, assured full support from the district administration in implementing the directions. He reiterated the need for active collaboration among different departments and officials to ensure the successful execution of election duties.

    Tehsildars and Naib Tehsildars shared their field-level updates and discussed critical issues regarding enforcement of the MCC.

    The DEO assured them of full support and provided solutions to address any logistical or operational issues.

    The meeting concluded with the DEO urging all officers to work with dedication and responsibility in the weeks leading up to the elections, ensuring that Rajouri district witnesses free, fair, and peaceful elections.

    NO: PR/DDI/J/2435//