Trust in electoral process in Jammu and Kashmir

Over half of the voters said the J&K Assembly election was conducted freely and fairly to a great extent; this view is more pronounced in Jammu, where 58% of voters shared this opinion, compared with 47% in Kashmir

The 2024 Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir was held after a decade and marked a significant milestone, particularly following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. With the election being the first since the reorganisation of the State, there was a high stake for the Election Commission(EC) to conduct a free and fair election. A large portion of the electorate in Jammu and Kashmir expressed confidence in the EC’s ability to do so, with nearly half of the voters indicating strong trust in the institution. However, a regional divide in trust is evident, with trust being significantly higher among voters in Jammu (58%) compared with those in Kashmir (39%) (Table 1).

Trust in the EC was further strengthened by positive perceptions of the electoral process. When voters were asked about the fairness of the election, over three in five (61%) said they believed no rigging took place during the polls. However, skepticism was more prevalent in Kashmir, where about one-thirds chose not to share their views on the matter, compared to just one-fifth in Jammu. This disparity reflects a greater sense of distrust in the electoral process among Kashmiris. Voters in Jammu were more confident in the fairness of the election, with 71% stating that no rigging occurred, compared with 59% in Kashmir (Table 2).

In terms of overall satisfaction with the conduct of the election, a majority of voters in Jammu and Kashmir rated the process positively. Just over half of the voters (52%) said the election was conducted freely and fairly to a great extent. This view was more pronounced in Jammu, where 58% of voters shared this opinion, compared with 47% in Kashmir. A smaller percentage of voters (7%) felt that the election was not conducted fairly at all, with this sentiment more common in Kashmir than Jammu.

The 2024 election in Jammu and Kashmir was generally regarded as fair and free, with voters expressing trust in the EC. However, this belief was more prominent among voters in Jammu than those in Kashmir, reflecting the ongoing regional divide in perceptions of the electoral process. While the EC has succeeded in maintaining trust among a majority of voters, particularly in Jammu, lingering skepticism in Kashmir indicates that more efforts may be needed to build confidence in the electoral system across the region.

The authors are researchers at Lokniti-CSDS

Published - October 11, 2024 03:03 pm IST