Srinagar/IBNS: A historic three-phased election began on Wednesday in Jammu and Kashmir as the union territory began voting to elect a government in the first post-Article 370 polls under a heavy security blanket. 

People queued up since morning to vote for the first time in 10 years across 3,276 polling stations  in 24 constituencies in seven districts in this phase.

A total of 219 candidates are contesting the polls in which 23.27 lakh voters are eligible to cast their ballots.

Polling is being held in terrorism hit Doda and Kishtwar in the Chenab Valley region as well. Interestingly 42 per cent of the 219 candidates are Independents.

In the first phase 16 seats are in Kashmir region and eight seats in Jammu region.  The Assembly constituencies are on both sides of the Pir Panjal mountain range.

Among the major contenders are the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party led by Mehbooba Mufti,  the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference of Omar Abdullah, the Bharatiya Janata Party  and the Congress. There are several Independents. Abdul Ghani Lone's People's Conference, Ghulam Nabi Azad's Democratic Progressive Azad Party, and Altaf Bukhari's Apni Party are also in the fray.

The banned Jamaat-e-Islami is also playing a role in the elections. It is supporting Awami Ittehad Party of Engineer Rashid, who stunned everyone by defeating former chief minister Omar Abdullah in the Lok Sabha elections.

PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti's daughter Iltija Mufti is contesting her first Assembly poll from the Srigufwara-Bijbehara constituency in South Kashmir.

JK lieutenant governor Manoj  posted on X handle: "J&K Assembly elections commence today. I call upon all the voters whose assembly constituencies are voting in the first phase today to turn out in record numbers & exercise their democratic rights. I especially urge youth, women and first-time voters to vote in large numbers."

The Jammu Kashmir Assembly polls are historic, being held for the first time since the region underwent major changes over the past five years, including the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019.

This led to the conversion of the state to a Union Territory (UT) and its division, with Ladakh becoming a separate UT without a legislature.