Overview

• The BJP announced Sat Pal Sharma, Ghulam Mohammad Mir and Rakesh Mahajan as its nominees, with Sharma contesting a seat the party considers safe.
• The NC named Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan, Shammi Oberoi and Sajad Ahmad Kichloo, leaving one slot for a Congress nominee still to be declared.
• The current Assembly strength stands at 88, with the NC-led bloc at 53 and the BJP at 28, a balance that points to one seat in reach for each major bloc under the combined third notification.
• Polling is scheduled for October 24 from 9 am to 4 pm with counting at 5 pm the same day.
• The contest is the first since Article 370’s abrogation, with four seats vacant since February 2021 and smaller parties such as PDP, People’s Conference, AAP and AIP shaping the arithmetic, including AIP opting to field its own candidate and an AAP MLA in jail.