Picture : ANI / X
Nearly 59 percent of the electorate in Jammu and Kashmir turned out to vote , giving a thumbs up to the Union Territory’s first assembly election since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 with round one going off without incident.
Of the 90 seats, 24 voted in the first phase — 16 in the Kashmir Valley and eight in the Jammu region. Over 2.3 million voters were eligible to cast the ballot to determine the fate of 219 candidates, including 90 Independents.
Chief Electoral Officer PK Pole said this is the highest voter turnout in the past seven Lok Sabha and assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Jammu & Kashmir Assembly Polls 2024 |As of 7:30 PM, in phase-I elections, the voter turnout stands at 58.85% with Kishtwar witnessing the highest voting percentage – 77.23% and Pulwama the lowest – 46.03% (approximate): Election Commission of India https://t.co/sHJowiHxWC pic.twitter.com/2PU471ZL4Q
— ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2024
The figures might go up after the final reports are received from the remote pockets and postal ballots, he said.
Voting began at 7 am and proceeded steadily through the day.
Men and women, the young and old, some too frail to walk and others patiently waiting their turn, queued up outside polling booths across Kashmir Valley and Jammu.
Congress leader Ghulam Ahmed Mir quoted by ANI said , “People have decided to peacefully cast their votes as there was no democracy here. It is important that people choose their representatives. Even though it will be a toothless government in UT…”
PDP candidate from Bijbehara Assembly constituency Iltija Mufti quoted by ANI said, “I am happy that people have come here to cast their vote. I have been visiting polling booths since morning and youngsters and elderly all have come out to cast their votes. Delhi should honour this mandate and ensure that this is a free and fair transparent election… We have information that the other party was trying to indulge in malpractices but those claims are yet to be verified, but we have complaints against NC how they are going about manhandling people… Engineer Rashid should be freed.”
Congress leader and former Deputy CM Rajasthan Sachin Pilot told ANI “This is a border area and the Congress party has always been strong here, we have alliance candidates… I think the INDIA alliance government will be formed here, BJP itself is contesting the elections and has fielded many proxy candidates so that the votes can be divided but the voters here understand this politics. Elections have not been held here for 10 years, people are participating in the voting in large numbers… No matter how much effort they make in Jammu and Kashmir, people are not liking them here …”
