Campaigning for the third and final phase of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir has reached its peak, with political parties leaving no stone unturned to woo the voters. Forty assembly constituencies will go to polls in this phase on the 1st of October. Udhampur East assembly seat in Udhampur district will go to polls in this phase.

Udhampur is named after Raja Udham Singh, the eldest son of Maharaja Gulab Singh, the founder of Dogra rule in J&K. The topography of the Udhampur District is hilly, inter-woven with the Shivalik range of the Himalayas, and has largely difficult terrain. The district has a population of 5 lakh 57 thousand 689 including 2 lakh 98 thousand 189 male and 2 lakh 59 thousand 500 female. The district registered a total of 4 lakh 22 thousand and 298 voters including 2 lakh 21 thousand 262 males and 2 lakh 01 thousand and 035 females. The Election Commission has set up 654 polling stations across the district to ensuring that every registered voter has the opportunity to participate in the democratic process. The district comprises of 357 villages 236 Panchayats, 17 Community Development Blocks, 8 Tehsils and 4 Sub Division. The Udhampur district has 4 Assembly Constituencies and the 60-Udhampur East happens to be the key Assembly Constituency having a total of 1, 00, 690 voters including 52,611 male and 48,079 female and is part of Udhampur-Kathua Lok Sabha Constituency. The Election Commission has established 157 polling stations in the constituency to ensure thorough voter access. 9 candidates are in the final electoral fray for election in 60-Udhampur East Assembly Constituency including 3 Independent candidates. The prominent faces in the final electoral fray are NC-Congress alliance candidate, Sunil Verma, BJP leader Rajinder Singh Pathania, JKPDP leader Bageel Singh, Acchav Singh of BSP, Balwan Singh of Jammu Kashmir National Panthers Party and Sahil Gandotra of Shiv Sena. Besides, Pawan Khajuria, Soma and Mohinder Singh are contesting the elections as independent candidates. There would be a direct contest between BJP’s Rajinder Singh Pathania and Independent candidate Pawan Khajuria, who used to be BJP’s state Vice President but because of not getting the mandate from the party, separated his way and contesting the poll as an independent candidate. The voters of the constituency will lock the fate of these two major contenders’ in the EVMs on October 1 by casting their franchise. The election department has assured minimum facilities in the constituency. Besides other arrangements adequate security arrangements have been put in place to ensure smooth and incident free elections.