The first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections on Wednesday saw 24 constituencies across seven districts voting for the first time in 10 years. The region recorded a voter turnout of 60.21%, the highest in the last seven elections. This number may rise as final reports on postal ballots come in. Chief Electoral Officer P K Pole stated that voting remained peaceful, with no significant incidents reported across any polling stations. While some minor scuffles occurred, no serious incidents required a repoll.
This election phase is significant as it is the first after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, which stripped the state of its special status and reorganized it into Union Territories. According to the Election Commission, Inderwal recorded the highest turnout at 80.06%, followed by Padder-Nagseni at 80.67% and Kishtwar at 78.11%.
Key Constituencies and Candidates
In Anantnag district, Pahalgam recorded the highest turnout at 67.86%. Pulwama district saw Pulwama segment at 50.42%, followed by Rajpora at 48.07% and Tral at 43.21%. This election takes place in a transformed atmosphere, following the Article 370 abrogation. Key regional parties, such as Farooq Abdullah’s NC and Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP, along with national parties like Congress and BJP, are vying for crucial gains.
Notable candidates include CPI(M)’s Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami from Kulgam and AICC General Secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir in Dooru. In this phase, over 23 lakh voters will decide the fate of 219 candidates, including 90 independents. Of the 24 Assembly seats, eight are in the Jammu region and four in the Kashmir Valley.
The Election Commission reports that 23,27,580 electors are eligible to vote in Phase 1, comprising 11,76,462 male, 11,51,058 female, and 60 third-gender voters. A total of 14,000 polling staff will oversee the process at 3,276 polling stations, ensuring smooth voting. The Jammu and Kashmir Police have implemented extensive security measures for the polls to maximize voter turnout, according to senior officer VK Birdi. Multi-tier security from Central Armed Paramilitary Forces, Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police, and J&K Police is in place.
The second phase of voting will take place on September 25, followed by the third phase on October 1, with vote counting scheduled for October 8.
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