Election in Jammu and Kashmir: Rahul Gandhi visits famous restaurant in Srinagar and eats ice cream at Lal Chowk | Latest news from India

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir to meet party workers ahead of the general elections, had dinner with his colleagues at Ahdoos restaurant in Srinagar last night and later enjoyed ice cream at Lal Chowk.

Ahdoos is considered one of the most famous restaurants in the city and is known for its Kashmiri 'Wazwan' specialties. During the visit, heavy security was deployed around the hotel, which overlooks the Jhelum River.

Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge landed in Srinagar on Wednesday and were greeted by an enthusiastic crowd.

Both politicians will chair a meeting with party workers in Srinagar at 10 am on Thursday and hold a press conference at 11.30 am. They will then fly to Jammu at 2.15 pm to meet party leaders there.

Political activities in the region have gained momentum as both the Congress and the BJP are exploring alliance options with like-minded parties. The Congress leadership is expected to hold meetings with the leaders of the National Conference and the Peoples' Democratic Party, both part of the INDIA bloc.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has sent its leader Ram Madhav to Srinagar to talk to local politicians ahead of the elections. Madhav played a key role in forming the PDP-BJP alliance in 2015 and worked closely with Mufti Sayeed and later Mehbooba Mufti.

Parliamentary elections in 3 phases starting 18 September

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on August 16 that the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections will be held in three phases and the results will be announced on October 4.

Elections for the first phase will be held on September 18, for the second phase on September 25 and for the final phase on October 1.

Jammu and Kashmir has 8,709,000 eligible voters, including 4,446,000 males, 4,262,000 females and 371,000 first-time voters. Elections will be held at 11,800 polling stations across the Union Territory.

The UT has been without an elected government since June 2018 after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dissolved its alliance with the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) and forced Mehbooba Mufti to resign as chief minister.