New Delhi: The state of Jammu and Kashmir which is currently under Governor’s rule will vote for the crucial Lok Sabha elections in five phases, as per the EC’s announced schedule. The parties which are currently holding the 6 Lok Sabha seats in the state are Bharatiya Janata Party, the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party and the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference.

Jammu and Kashmir will not be witnessing state assembly election simultaneously with the parliamentary polls, as it will be tough to deploy forces across 89 assembly constituencies, at the same time when Lok Sabha polls will be going on, especially at a time when the state still reels with one of the deadliest terror attack in Pulwama.

Dates of voting in the state are: April 11, 18, 23, 29 and May 6.

Here is how the voting trend in Kashmir has been over the years:

2014 Lok Sabha elections:

Of the 72, 02,163 electors, the number of votes polled were 35,66,863 with a turnout of 49.5% in the 6 parliamentary constituencies. The 2014 Modi wave helped BJP to bag 3 seats while Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP clinched 3 seats.

The 2014 elections witnessed disappearance of Congress and National Conference from the Lok Sabha representation of the state.

In 2017, Srinagar seat fell vacant after PDP's Tariq Hameed Karra resigned from the PDP and the Lok Sabha - he eventually joined the Congress which entered in a pre-poll alliance with the National Conference.  National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah won the closely watched by-poll by defeating Nazir Ahmed Khan from the PDP.

2009 Lok Sabha elections:

Of the 65,72,896 electors, the number of votes polled were 26,08,420 with a turnout of 39.7% in the 6 parliamentary constituencies. Jammu and Kashmir National Conference won maximum number of seats- 3, despite trailing behind Congress in vote percentage. Indian National Congress won 2 seats and one was won by an Independent politician Hassan Khan.

2004 Lok Sabha elections:

Of the 63,68,115 electors, the number of votes polled were 22,32,752 with a turnout of 35.1% in the 6 parliamentary constituencies. Congress won 2 seats, National Conference won 2 seats, PDP clinched 1 while 1 was won by an independent candidate.