Jammu and Kashmir sees over 60% voter turnout, highest in past 7 Assembly polls

The first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections on Wednesday saw 24 constituencies across seven districts voting for the first time in 10 years.

In Short

• J&K votes in first election post Article 370 abrogation
• Elaborate security measures in place across 7 districts to ensure higher turnout
• PM Modi urges first-time voters to exercise franchise

Jammu and Kashmir saw a voter turnout of 60.21 per cent in the first phase of polling for the Assembly election - the highest in the past seven elections. The polling figures may rise after the final reports are received about postal ballots.

Voting in the remained peaceful, with no untoward incidents reported in any of the 24 Assembly constituencies, spread across seven districts. Chief Electoral Officer P K Pole said there were reports of some minor incidents of scuffle or argument from a few polling stations but "no serious incident" occurred that could have forced a repoll.

This is the first phase of the Assembly polls which are taking place after 10 years and also the first after the Centre abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution in 2019, stripping the then state's special status and reorganising it into Union Territories.

According to data from the Election Commission, Inderwal recorded the maximum voter turnout at 80.06 per cent, followed by Padder-Nagseni at 80.67 per cent and Kishtwar at 78.11 per cent.

Among the seven constituencies of Anantnag district, Pahalgam recorded the highest voter turnout at 67.86 percent, followed by Kokernag (58 percent), Dooru (57.90 percent), Srigufwara-Bijbehara (56.02 percent), Shangus-Anantnag (52.94 percent), Anantnag West (45.93 percent) and Anantnag 41.58 percent.

In Pulwama district, the Pulwama segment witnessed 50.42 percent polling, followed by Rajpora 48.07 percent, Pampore 44.74 percent and Tral 43.21 percent.

The polls are being held in an apparently transformed atmosphere in the region following the Article 370 abrogation, as key regional parties--Farooq Abdullah’s NC and Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP--and national parties--Congress and BJP--aim for bigger gains in this crucial election.

Players like Engineer Rashid’s Kashmir Awami Ittehad Party, which struck an alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami, and Sajjad Lone’s People’s Conference are also in the fray. Additionally, some separatist outfits are contesting as independents in many seats.

Key faces in this round include CPI(M)’s Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami from Kulgam, AICC General Secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir in Dooru, National Conference's Sakina Itoo from Damhal Hajipora, PDP’s Sartaj Madni from Devsar, Iltija Mufti in Srigufwara-Bijbehara, and Abdul Rehman Veeri in Shangus-Anantnag.

In the first phase, over 23 lakh voters will decide the fate of 219 candidates, including 90 independents. Of the 24 Assembly seats, eight are in the Jammu region and four in the Kashmir Valley.

According to the Election Commission (EC), a total of 23,27,580 electors are eligible to vote in Phase 1, comprising 11,76,462 male, 11,51,058 female, and 60 third-gender electors. A total of 14,000 polling staff will oversee the process at 3,276 polling stations, ensuring the smooth conduct of the polls.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police have made elaborate security arrangements for the Assembly polls to ensure maximum voter turnout, said senior officer VK Birdi. The measures include multi-tier security from the Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPF), Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police, and J&K Police.

The second phase of voting will take place on September 25, and the third on October 1 and vote counting will be held on October 8.