LIVE | J&K Assembly polls final phase: Turnout may surpass LS poll figures
The voter turnout in Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the ongoing Assembly polls in the Union Territory was also higher than in the Lok Sabha elections.
The third and final phase of Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday (October 1) saw a turnout of 65.48 per cent till 5 pm, which is likely to surpass the Lok Sabha poll turnout in the corresponding seven districts, according to latest data available.
In the recently-held parliamentary polls, the turnout in these districts was recorded at 66.78 per cent. The voter turnout in Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the ongoing Assembly polls in the Union Territory was also higher than in the Lok Sabha elections.
While seven districts in Phase 1 recorded 61.38 per cent turnout in these assembly elections, it was 60 per cent in the general elections.
Similarly, six districts that went to polls in Phase 2 of the Assembly polls recorded 57.31 per cent polling as compared to 52.17 per cent turnout in the Lok Sabha polls, according to available data.
Baramulla, Sopore shun boycott
The three border districts of Kashmir -- Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara -- registered a voter turnout of 60 per cent with traditional boycott bastions of Sopore and Baramulla towns witnessing the highest turnout in an election in the last three decades.
However, the turnout in the 16 Assembly segments of these three districts on Tuesday was nearly 5 per cent less than what was recorded in the 2014 Assembly polls.
The third and final phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls was held on Tuesday. The polling in the 40 Assembly segments across seven districts, including the winter capital Jammu, began at 7 am and concluded at 6 pm. The votes will be counted on October 8.
Turnout more than 2014 polls
According to the election commission data, Sopore town, which was once a hotbed of separatism and militancy, witnessed a turnout of 41.44 per cent -- 11 per cent more than the 2014 Assembly polls.
In the Baramulla Assembly seat, nearly 48 per cent of voters exercised their franchise. The turnout in this election was 8 per cent more than in 2014.
The Pattan Assembly segment also registered a higher voter turnout compared to 2014 as nearly 61 per cent electorate cast their votes.
One of the key factors attributed to the higher voter turnout in Sopore was the presence of Aijaz Guru, the brother of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, as a contestant.
In Baramulla, too, Jamaat-e-Islami-backed independent candidate Abdul Rehman Shalla entering the fray seems to have had a positive effect on the voter turnout
Also read: As NC hopes for J&K victory, ominous signs for Abdullahs
Drop in poll percentage
However, some of the constituencies which had seen high voter turnout in the Assembly elections 10 years ago, saw a drop in percentage.
Among the areas that saw a substantial dip were Lok Sabha member Sheikh Abdul Rashid's native Langate segment and Kupwara and Handwara segments, the two seats where People's Conference president Sajad Lone is contesting.
Border constituencies of Uri and Karnah also saw more than a 10 per cent dip in the turnout. While 82.85 per cent of voters had cast their votes in Uri in 2014, the number fell to 64.81 per cent this time.
Sonawari segment in Bandipora district also saw a dip of around 15 per cent -- from 80.77 per cent in 2014 to 65.56 per cent this time.
Election officials said the turnout figures could go slightly up as data was still being collected from some of the remote polling stations.
While the campaign for the third phase of polling was intense, the voting passed off peacefully with no major incident reported from anywhere.
(With agency inputs)
Follow our Live updates below
Live Updates
- 1 Oct 2024 5:48 AM GMT
J-K needs visionary govt: Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said the people of Jammu and Kashmir should exercise their franchise to form a government that would keep away terrorism, separatism, corruption and dynastic politics.
Shah also said Jammu and Kashmir needed a government that was visionary and could take strong decisions for security, peace and stability.
“Today, the people voting in Jammu and Kashmir in the last phase should use their power of vote to form a government that keeps Jammu and Kashmir away from terrorism, separatism, corruption and dynastic politics and is determined to protect the rights of every section,” he said in a post in Hindi on X.
The home minister asked the people to cast their vote for tourism, education, employment and all-round development in Jammu and Kashmir.
- 1 Oct 2024 5:44 AM GMT
Final chance to teach a lesson: Kharge
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday urged the people of Jammu and Kashmir to vote in large numbers in the third and final phase of the assembly polls in the union territory and “teach a lesson” to those who snatched statehood from them.
In a post on X, Kharge said, “As voting for the third phase of the Jammu and Kashmir elections commences, I urge the people in these 40 Assembly seats to exercise their Democratic rights in large numbers.” This is the final chance to “teach a lesson” to those who snatched statehood from the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress president said.
“Remember, that a single vote can change your destiny and usher in a brighter future, which secures your Constitutional rights,” he said.
“A single vote is valuable enough to ensure better employment opportunities for the young, take on the corrupt, safeguard your land rights and ensure progress and prosperity,” Kharge said.
“We welcome the first-time voters, for the future course for Jammu and Kashmir shall be decided by their participation. Once again, I request you to join the voting queue,” he said.
- 1 Oct 2024 5:42 AM GMT
Mayawati's appeal
BSP president Mayawati has appealed to all voters in Jammu and Kashmir to cast their votes for the third and final phase of the assembly elections “to ensure that the right people are in power”.
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is among the parties contesting the assembly polls being held after almost a decade in Jammu and Kashmir and the first time since abrogation of Article 370.
“An appeal to all voters to vote enthusiastically in the third and final phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections being held today, so that in this election being held after a long time, the right people can have a share in power, for which a lot of voting is necessary. First vote, then refreshment,” Mayawati posted on X in Hindi.
- 1 Oct 2024 5:39 AM GMT
Valmiki community in J-K votes for the first time
Long denied the right to vote, members of the Valmiki community exercised their franchise for the first time in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections on Tuesday and termed it as a “historic moment”.
The Valmikis were originally brought to J-K in 1957 from Punjab’s Gurdaspur district for sanitation work by the state government.
“I am a first-time voter at the age of 45. In my lifetime. We are thrilled and filled with enthusiasm to participate in J-K’s assembly elections for the first time. It is like a big festival for us,” Gharu Bhati, who voted at a polling station in Jammu, said.
Bhati, who has led efforts for over 15 years to secure citizenship rights for his community said, “This is a festival for the entire Valmiki community. We have voters as old as 80 and as young as 18. Two generations before us were denied this right, but justice prevailed when Article 370 was abrogated, granting us citizenship of J-K.”
“For decades, our community, brought here for sanitation work, was denied basic rights, including the right to vote and citizenship of J-K. It is a historic moment for the entire Valmiki community,” he added.
The Valmikis, along with West Pakistan refugees and Gurkha communities, comprise around 1.5 lakh people. They reside in various parts of Jammu, Samba, and Kathua districts, particularly in border areas.
Approximately 12,000 members of the community residing in Gandhi Nagar and Dogra Hall areas were previously deprived voting rights, education, job opportunities, and land ownership due to absence of a state subject certificate.
“Two generations of our people have lived without these rights, but justice prevailed with the abrogation of Article 370. We were once a dark spot on Jammu and Kashmir's justice and constitutional framework. Today, as part of the largest democracy in the world, Valmiki Samaaj, West Pakistan refugees, and Gurkha communities have finally gained their constitutional rights after 75 years,” Bhati said.
With the revocation of Article 370, both West Pakistan refugees and Valmikis can now buy land, apply for jobs, and participate in elections in J-K. The Valmiki community can explore alternative livelihoods as well.
Standing in a long queue, 19-year-old Komal said, “I am fortunate to vote. My 74-year-old grandmother is also voting today. I'm happy that the era of injustice and discrimination has ended.” Another community member, 22-year-old Aikta Mathoo, along with his 53-year-old father, a sanitation worker, cast his vote at the Gandhi Nagar polling station.
“We both are voting for the first time. My father failed to vote in past elections. He could not get a better job here. Now I aspire to become a judge. The credit goes to the central government, who abrogated Article 370 and made us citizens in J-K,” he said.
The primary demand of the Valmiki community is improvement in their living conditions.
- 1 Oct 2024 4:37 AM GMT
11.60% turnout till 9 am
11.60% voter turnout recorded till 9 am in the third and final phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections.Bandipore-11.64%Baramulla-8.89%Jammu-11.46%Kathua-13.09%Kupwara-11.27%Samba-13.31%Udhampur-14.23%
