LIVE | J&K Assembly polls final phase: 56% voter turnout till 3 pm
More than 39.18 lakh eligible voters will decide the electoral fate of 415 candidates, including two former deputy chief ministers Tara Chand and Muzaffar Baig
Voting is on for the third and final phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, covering 40 seats across seven districts, including the winter capital Jammu. Till 1 pm on Tuesday (October 1), 56.01 per cent voter turnout was recorded.
Polling began at 7 am in 16 Assembly segments in three border districts of north Kashmir and 24 constituencies in the Jammu region amid tight security. Polling is scheduled to conclude at 6 pm.
More than 39.18 lakh eligible voters will decide the electoral fate of 415 candidates, including two former deputy chief ministers Tara Chand and Muzaffar Baig.
A first
The election will have West Pakistani refugees, the Valmiki Samaj, and the Gorkha community exercise their franchise, having gained voting rights for the first Assembly polls following the 2019 abrogation of Article 370.
They previously participated in the Block Development Council and the District Development Council polls of 2019 and 2020, respectively.
Segments going to polls
The Assembly segments going to the polls are Baramulla, Uri, Rafiabad, Pattan, Gulmarg, Sopore, and Wagoora-Kreeri (Baramulla district), Kupwara, Karnah, Trehgam, Handwara, Lolab, and Langate (Kupwara district), and Bandipora, Sonawari, and Gurez (Bandipora district).
A total of 202 candidates are in the fray in these 16 segments.
Among the prominent candidates in the fray in this phase are 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).
Tight security
More than 400 companies of security forces, including paramilitary and armed police personnel, have been deployed to ensure a safe voting environment.
The constituencies in Jammu region are located in Udhampur, Samba, and Kathua districts.
The earlier phases of the election saw robust turnout, with 61.38 per cent participation in the first phase on September 18 and 57.31 per cent in the second phase on September 25.
The results are scheduled to be announced on October 8.
Also read: As NC hopes for J&K victory, ominous signs for Abdullahs
EC’s preparation
To facilitate voter participation, the Election Commission has set up 5,060 polling stations and ensured 100 per cent webcasting across all constituencies. Of the total, 974 are urban polling stations and 4,086 are rural.
Special initiatives to enhance participation include 240 “special” polling stations, 50 “pink” polling stations managed by women, and 43 polling stations manned by persons with disabilities.
Additionally, there are 45 “green” polling stations promoting environmental awareness, 29 polling stations located near the Line of Control and the International Border for border residents, and 33 “unique” polling stations.
For migrant voters of the Kashmir division, 24 “special” polling stations — 19 in Jammu, four in Delhi, and one in Udhampur district — have been established.
(With agency inputs)
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“Let’s see. Let’s hope for the best. The last time we went to the polls, we were contesting for one of the most empowered assemblies. Today, we have contested perhaps for one of the weakest assemblies in India. That’s a comedown,” says People’s Conference President Sajjad Lone on election results expectations.
A voter in Langate Assembly segment, Kupwara district of north Kashmir.
#WATCH | Srinagar, J&K | PDP candidate from Habba Kadal Assembly constituency, Arif Laigaroo says, "Today, after 10 years, people here have got a chance to vote in democracy, so we hope that there will be voting in large numbers...the voting percentage will increase...The… pic.twitter.com/TXkM1krp6B— ANI (@ANI) October 1, 2024
Several former ministers and candidates were among those who exercised their franchise at various polling stations in Jammu and Samba districts on Tuesday in the third and final phase of the assembly polls.
Many of them also highlighted that the significant voter turnout symbolises the triumph of democracy over Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
"Democracy has prevailed in Jammu and Kashmir. The people have defeated Pakistan-sponsored terrorism," former minister and BJP candidate for Jammu North, Shyamlal Sharma said after casting his vote.
"We will form the government, and our victory will be a testament to the people's endorsement. They are voting for the continuity of development in Jammu and Kashmir," he added.
Former minister and candidate for the Ramgarh constituency in Samba district, Dr Devender Kumar Manyal, who along with his family cast his vote here, said, "The BJP will emerge victorious in Jammu and Kashmir. We will win this election with a majority."
Senior BJP leader and candidate for the Nagrota assembly segment, Devendra Singh Rana, predicted that the BJP government would assume power in Jammu and Kashmir.
He cited the developmental initiatives spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as pivotal to the electorate's support.
Rana expressed gratitude to the Election Commission, administration, and security forces for ensuring free and fair elections in Jammu and Kashmir, and said "this marks a triumph for democracy as J&K undergoes transformation."
Ravinder Raina, Chief of Jammu and Kashmir BJP, said "Democracy is flourishing in Jammu and Kashmir, where the people have decisively rejected Pakistan-sponsored terrorism." "People are voting for peace, development, progress, and prosperity. Their vote is for democracy, not for terrorism," he said.