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Counting of ballots for the 87-member Jammu and Kashmir assembly began in Srinagar on Thursday morning amid tight security.
The counting, being held at 15 centres spread over 13 districts, will decide the electoral fate of 710 candidates, including the National Conference president and chief ministerial candidate Omar Abdullah and vice-president of People's Democratic Party Mehbooba Mufti.
There is no counting in Leh as two candidates of the newly-formed Ladakh Union Territory Front have been declared elected unopposed.
Jammu and Kashmir police assisted by paramilitary forces have thrown a massive security ring around counting centres to thwart any attempt of militants to carry out any suicide strikes.
Helicopters have been pressed into service at strategic places to ward off possible rocket attacks by militants. Policemen have taken up positions in buildings of the counting venue.
All areas falling within one-km radius of the counting centres have been sealed as 'we have intelligence inputs that militants will try to disrupt ballot-counting and there might be suicide attacks', Inspector General of Police, K Rajendra, said.
To round off the free and fair polling process, the Election Commission has deployed nearly 60 observers for the entire state to monitor the counting.
The fate of the NC heavyweights, Ali Mohammed Sagar (Khanyar), Ghulam Mohideen Shah (Batmaloo), Mian Altaf (Kangan), Abdul Rahim Rather (Chrar-e-Sharief), Mohammed Shafi (Uri), Mustafa Kamal (Gulmarg), Chaudhary Ramzan (Handwara), Ajat Shatru Singh (Nagrota), Bashir Ahmed Nengroo (Pulwama), Sakina Itoo (Noorabad), Peerzada Ghulam Ahmed Shah (Devsar) and speaker of the outgoing state assembly Abdul Ahmad Vakil (Sopore) would also be decided.
Among the prominent opposition candidates awaiting electoral mandate are Mangat Ram Sharma (Congress) from Jammu (West), Kuka Parrey (Sonawari), Rebel Peoples Conference candidate Ghulam Mohideen Sofi (Handwara), Ghulam Hassan Mir (PDP) from Gulmarg, Rebel NC leader and now Congress candidate Mohammed Shafi Bhat from Amirakadal assembly seat.
PTI
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