Jammu, April 17 : Fate of 12 candidates will be decided by over 16.23 lakh voters in the Udhampur parliamentary constituency which will go to polls in the first phase on April 19.

The Udhampur constituency consists of 18 Assembly segments spanning across five districts including Kishtwar, Doda, Ramban, Udhampur and Kathua.

"Encompassing an expansive area of 16,707 square kilometres, the constituency boasts of a diverse electorate comprising 16,23,195 eligible voters. Among them are 845,283 male voters, 777,899 female voters and 13 third-gender voters, reflecting the inclusivity of a democratic process," an official statement said.

In Kishtwar district, with three Assembly segments namely Inderwal, Kishtwar and Padder Nagseni, a total of 175,897 electors, including 90256 male and 85641 female, are poised to exercise their right to franchise.

Doda district, also with three Assembly segments namely Bhaderwah, Doda and Doda West, contributes 305,093 voters to the electoral roll comprising 157375 male, 147711 female and 7 third gender electors.

Ramban district, encompassing two Assembly Segments namely Ramban and Banihal, has 219,124 registered electors, including 113814 male and 105310 female electors.

Udhampur District, comprising four Assembly Segments namely Udhampur West, Udhampur East, Chenani and Ramnagar, boasts 419,854 electors which included 219890 male and 199964 female electors.

Kathua district, with six Assembly Segments of Bani, Billawar, Basohli, Jasrota, Kathua and Hiranagar will see a robust participation of 503,227 registered voters comprising 263948 male, 239273 female and 6 third gender electors.

"To facilitate seamless voting, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has set up 2,637 polling stations across the constituency, including 405 in Kishtwar, 529 in Doda, 348 in Ramban, 654 in Udhampur and 701 in Kathua District," the statement said.

In line with the commitment towards fair and transparent elections, the ECI has deployed 3,658 Ballot Units, 3,570 Control Units, and 3,636 VVPATs (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the electoral process.

Moreover, 1,472 polling stations will be equipped with webcasting facilities to further enhance transparency in the democratic process.

/IANS