MUZAFFARABAD, 09 August 2026 (Kamran Raja): Polling for the third phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections will be held on Monday, August 10, in four constituencies of Bagh and Haveli districts, with more than 460,000 voters eligible to cast their ballots.A total of 82 candidates are contesting the four seats in the Poonch division, where a closely fought electoral contest is expected.In Haveli district, a three-way contest is expected between AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, former Kashmir Council member Khawaja Tariq Saeed and PML-N nominee Mohsin Aziz.According to officials, polling material, along with election and security personnel, will be transported to the polling stations by Sunday evening. Polling will be conducted in three constituencies of Bagh and one constituency of Haveli.

The Election Commission of Azad Jammu and Kashmir said the election campaign in Bagh and Haveli concluded at midnight on Saturday. All forms of electioneering have been prohibited following the end of the campaign period. AJK Chief Election Commissioner (retd.) Justice Ghulam Mustafa Mughal said the commission decided to hold elections for the four seats in Bagh and Haveli first due to security concerns. He said the election schedule for Rawalakot and Sudhanoti could be announced within the next seven days. However, he added that candidates would be provided adequate time to conduct their election campaigns before polling.The Election Commission has made arrangements to ensure the smooth and peaceful conduct of polling, while security personnel will be deployed at polling stations across the constituencies.