Polling set for LA-27 Kotla and LA-28 Lachhrat

Voting will be held on Tuesday in LA-27 Kotla and at 51 polling stations in LA-28 Lachhrat constituencies, where polling was deferred after adverse weather conditions prevented election material from reaching the stations in time during the second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections on August 2.

The Election Commission has completed arrangements for the polling with heightened security measures in place. Personnel from the Pakistan Army, Rangers and police will be deployed at polling stations to ensure a peaceful and orderly voting process.

Polling at the affected stations could not take place on Sunday as severe weather disrupted the transportation of election material. The Election Commission subsequently rescheduled the voting for Tuesday.

In LA-27 Kotla, the electoral contest is being closely watched with the main battle expected among IPP candidate Sardar Tabarak Ali, PML-N’s Noreen Arif and PPP’s Sardar Javed Ayub. The constituency has 107,061 registered voters and 197 polling stations, making it one of the larger electoral battles in the Muzaffarabad Division.

The contest in LA-28 Lachhrat, meanwhile, has assumed an even more dramatic dimension with PPP candidate Bazal Ali Naqvi holding a lead of just five votes over PML-N candidate Chaudhry Shehzad.

READ: Vote counting underway as polling ends in second phase of AJK elections amid rigging claims

Of the constituency’s 115 polling stations, voting will take place today at 51 stations located in three union councils: Panjgran, Noseri and Nosda.

According to results received so far, Naqvi has secured 19,029 votes, while Chaudhry Shehzad has polled 19,024, leaving the outcome hanging by the narrowest of margins and setting the stage for an intensely contested round of polling.

The Election Commission said additional security personnel had been deployed at sensitive polling stations in both constituencies. Security arrangements have also been reinforced at locations identified by candidates as sensitive, while relevant authorities have been directed to maintain close oversight of the electoral process.

The two constituencies have assumed considerable political importance following the results emerging from Muzaffarabad Division. Their outcomes could alter the electoral balance and provide a clearer picture of the political landscape as parties manoeuvre to secure a majority and form the next government in AJK.

The Election Commission has urged voters to exercise their right to franchise without fear and cooperate with election staff to ensure a peaceful, transparent and orderly polling process.

Earlier, PML-N consolidated its position in AJK on Monday, securing 23 seats in the two-phase general elections, while the PPP emerged as the second-largest party with nine seats.

The PML-N won nine seats in Mirpur Division, 10 seats reserved for refugees from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) settled in Pakistan and four seats in Muzaffarabad Division. The PPP secured four seats in Mirpur Division, two refugee seats and three seats in Muzaffarabad Division.