Jammu And Kashmir Records 10.22% Voter Turnout In Early Voting

Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) reported a voter turnout of 10.22% by 9 a.m. on Wednesday, following the commencement of the voting process at 7 a.m. across six districts.

According to statistics from the Election Commission, turnout varied by district: Budgam recorded 10.91%, Ganderbal 12.61%, Rajouri 12.71%, Poonch 14.41%, Reasi 13.37%, and Srinagar lagged behind with 4.70%. Early voting trends suggest that participation in this second phase of elections may mirror or slightly differ from the first phase.

Polling stations in the districts of Poonch, Rajouri, and Reasi in the Jammu division, along with Srinagar, Budgam, and Ganderbal in the Valley, exhibited a festive atmosphere. Security personnel, including local police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), actively engaged with voters, creating a welcoming environment as residents began casting their votes.

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A total of 2.578 million electors are eligible to further participate in this phase, with 3,502 polling stations established for the day’s voting, which will conclude at 6 p.m.

Senior political figures, including former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, JKPCC chief Tariq Hameed Karra, and BJP J&K president Ravinder Raina, are actively participating in the elections. The National Conference (NC) and Congress have formed a pre-poll alliance, with the NC contesting 52 seats and Congress fielding candidates in 31 seats. Notably, the alliance left two seats uncontested: one for the CPI(M) in the Valley and another for the Panthers Party in Jammu.

In five Assembly constituencies—Sopore, Banihal, Nagrota, Kishtwar, and Doda—the two parties could not reach an agreement, resulting in both fielding candidates for a friendly contest.

However, the third and final phase of the J&K Assembly polls is scheduled for October 1, with counting set to occur on October 8.