A small contingent of women personnel of the Special Operations Group (SOG), a specially-trained counter-insurgency force of the Jammu and Kashmir police, has been deployed in Jammu ahead of Lok Sabha elections.
Voting for the Jammu parliamentary seat will be held on April 26 in the second phase of elections. The eight-member team, fully equipped with automatic weapons and bullet-proof vests, can be seen carrying out patrolling duties in an armoured vehicle and conducting searches and vehicle checking in different parts of the city.
“The contingent had undergone rigorous training for three months before being deployed on the ground.
They are assigned the task of routine motor vehicle checking, area domination and highway patrolling,” SP (operations), Kameshwar Puri said.
He said they are being deployed on the directions of the senior officers and the team will augment the strength of the SOG on the ground.
“This is an example of women empowerment and their presence will help us tackle on-ground challenges in a better way as they work shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts,” the SP said.
Jammu & Kashmir is one of the diverse states in India represented by 5 six seats in the Lok Sabha. Earlier, Ladakh was also considered one of the constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir until its recognition as separate Union territory in 2019.
Baramulla, Srinagar, Anantnag, Udhampur, Jammu are the 5 constituencies in the state. BJP, Congress, Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (JKPDP), Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference (JKPC), Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) are some of the major political parties that contest to win a seat from the state.
According to the Election Commission announcement, voting in Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted in five phases with counting of votes on June 4.
As per the schedule- voting will begin with Udhampur on April 19, Jammu on April 26, Anantnag-Rajouri on May 7, Srinagar on May 13 and end with Baramulla on May 20.
Also Read: 1 pickpocket held, another escaped from Jammu hospital
