Jammu & Kashmir: 65.58% Polling In Final Phase, Akhnoor Records Highest Turnout, All Eyes On Oct 8

In the first phase of the J&K polls, a voter turnout of 61.38 per cent was recorded on September 18, followed by 57.31 per cent in the second phase on September 25.

Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024: A voter turnout of 65.58 per cent was recorded in the third and final phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections on Tuesday, according to Election Commission data. Among the 40 constituencies, the highest voter turnout was recorded in Akhnoor at 76.28 per cent, while Sopore saw the lowest voter turnout of 41.44 percent.

As polling began in the 40 Assembly segments across seven districts of Jammu and Kashmir, long queues were witnessed outside polling stations, as voters gathered to decide the fate of 415 candidates. A voter turnout of 65.48 per cent was recorded till 5 pm.

More than 39.18 lakh eligible voters were eligible to cast ballots, some of whom voted for the first time in the Assembly elections post the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. Two former deputy chief ministers Tara Chand and Muzaffar Baig, and several former ministers and legislators were in fray in the third and final polling phase.

Other prominent candidates in the fray were Raman Bhalla (R S Pura), Usman Majid (Bandipora), Nazir Ahmad Khan (Gurez), Taj Mohiuddin (Uri), Basharat Bukhari (Wagoora-Kreeri), Imran Ansari (Pattan), Ghulam Hassan Mir (Gulmarg), Choudhary Lal Singh (Basohli), Rajiv Jasrotia (Jasrota), Manohar Lal Sharma (Billawar), Sham Lal Sharma, and Ajay Kumar Sadhotra (Jammu North).

West Pakistani refugees, Valmiki Samaj, and Gorkha community members also thronged polling stations in the early hours after having gained voting rights for the first time after Article 370's abrogation. They had previously voted in the District Development Council polls in 2020 and Block Development Council in 2019.

Over 400 companies of security forces, including armed police personnel and paramilitary were deployed to ensure smooth and peaceful voting.

The Election Commission had undertaken special initiatives to improve voter turnout by setting up 240 special polling stations, 50 pink polling stations managed by women, and 43 polling stations manned by persons with disabilities. 45 green polling stations promoting environmental awareness were also installed.

Additionally, 29 polling stations were near the Line of Control and the International Border for border residents, besides 33 unique polling stations.

For migrant voters of the Kashmir division, 24 special polling stations, icnluding 19 in Jammu, four in Delhi, and one in Udhampur district were established.

In the first phase of the J&K polls, a voter turnout of 61.38 per cent was recorded on September 18, followed by 57.31 per cent in the second phase on September 25.The results are scheduled to be announced on October 8.