Jammu and Kashmir Elections: Rahul Gandhi had dinner at a famous restaurant in Srinagar and enjoyed ice cream at Lal Chowk

Jammu and Kashmir Elections: In preparation for the assembly poll, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is visiting Jammu and Kashmir for two days. He met with party members at Ahdoos restaurant in Srinagar yesterday night and then went to Lal Chowk for ice cream.

A well-known eatery in the city, Ahdoos is well-known for its Kashmiri “Wazwan” delicacies. There was a lot of security in place surrounding the hotel, which faces the Jhelum River, throughout the visit.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, arrived in Srinagar on Wednesday to a receptive reception from party president Mallikarjun Kharge.

On Thursday at 10 a.m., both leaders are expected to preside over a meeting with party workers in Srinagar. At 11.30 a.m., they are expected to address a news conference. Then, at 2:15 p.m., they will take a plane to Jammu to meet with its leaders.

As both the Congress and the BJP look at forming alliances with other like-minded parties, political activity in the area has picked up steam. Meetings between the heads of the Peoples’ Democratic Party and the National Conference, two organizations that are a member of the INDIA bloc, are anticipated between the Congress leadership and them.

In advance of the elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party dispatched its leader, Ram Madhav, to Srinagar to interact with local leaders. Working closely with Mufti Sayeed and then Mehbooba Mufti, Madhav was instrumental in the formation of the PDP-BJP coalition in 2015.

Three-phase assembly election starting on September 18

The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections are scheduled to take place in three stages, with results to be revealed on October 4, according to a statement released by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on August 16.

First phase voting will take place on September 18, followed by second phase on September 25 and final phase on October 1.

There are 87.09 lakh eligible voters in Jammu and Kashmir, including 44.46 lakh men, 42.62 lakh women, and 3.71 lakh first-time voters. 11,800 voting places will be used for the election across the Union Territory.

Since June 2018, when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) severed its ties with the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), prompting Mehbooba Mufti to step down as chief minister, the UT has been without an elected administration.