STATE TIMES NEWS

Jammu: A voter turnout of 69.65 per cent was recorded in the third and final phase of voting Tuesday in the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said.
Overall, after the conclusion of the all three phases, the poll percentage stands at 63.45, which is higher than the turnout recorded in the recently held Lok Sabha elections in the Union Territory, the J&K CEO office said in a statement here.

However, he said the figures are tentative and likely to go up marginally with the final reports from the polling stations in far-flung areas and addition of postal ballots.

According to EC data, there were more than 39.18 lakh eligible voters in the final phase.
“Poll percentage in first phase (covering 24 constituencies on September 18) was 61.38 percent, in second phase (covering 26 segments on September 25) it was 57.31 percent and in last third phase (covering 40 seats) poll percentage is 68.72 percent (tentative). Overall poll percentage comes to 63.45 percent (tentative),” the statement said.

The statement said the overall poll percentage in the assembly polls is far better than 57.89 per cent recorded in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections and 61.01 per cent in 2008 assembly elections.
However, it is slightly less than 65.84 percent in 2014 assembly elections, it said.
Highlighting the district-wise voter turnout in the last three elections — two assembly polls (in 2008 and 2014) and one Lok Sabha elections (2024) — the statement said the overall the poll percentage in the assembly elections in the Kashmir division remained 55.20 per cent against 47.27 per cent in Lok Sabha elections this year.
However, the 55.20 per cent was less than 2014 assembly poll percentage of 65.84 per cent and 2008 assembly poll percentage of 61.01 per cent.
Similarly, the 72.59 percentage of the Jammu division recorded during the three phases of assembly elections is higher than 69.63 per cent registered in Lok Sabha elections this year and 71.26 per cent registered in 2008 assembly polls but lower compared to 2014 assembly elections when overall 76.67 per cent polling was registered.
The statement said Srinagar, Pulwama, Shopian and Baramulla districts have set new records for voting this assembly election which is the best in the past three decades.

Srinagar recorded 30.08 per cent polling this election compared to 24.83 percent in Lok Sabha polls, 27.75 per cent in 2014 assembly elections and 21.57 percent in the 2008 assembly polls.
Likewise, Pulwama marked a slight improvement as it touched 46.99 percent (this time) against 46.05 percent in 2008. In the 2014 assembly elections, it registered 44.08 per cent voting while it was 41.59 per cent in the Lok Sabha elections.
Shopian also recorded the highest poll percentage of 57.01 per cent in assembly elections this year compared to 43.88 percent in Lok Sabha elections (2024), 48.40 percent in the 2014 assembly elections and 50.65 per cent in the 2008 assembly elections.
The Baramulla district recorded 59.84 per cent polling in the 2024 assembly elections compared to 54.49 per cent in Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, 57.29 per cent in the 2014 assembly polls and 47.96 per cent in the 2008 assembly polls. In the Jammu region, Kishtwar district recorded the highest poll percentage (80.20 percent) followed by Udhampur (75.87 percent) then Samba (75.22 percent) and Reasi (74.68 percent). Among the 90 constituencies, the statement said the highest poll percentage has been recorded in Inderwal (82.16 percent) followed by Padder-Nagseni (80.67 percent) and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (80.45 percent) in this assembly elections. The votes will be counted on October 8.

Transparent, free, fair assembly polls 2024 will be written in golden letters in history of J&K elections: LG

Applauds tireless efforts of election officials, district administrations, JKP, SFs for successfully conducting multi-phased polls

SRINAGAR: The Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has extended hearty congratulations to the voters of the third phase of Assembly Elections for the record turnout. In a social media post, the Lieutenant Governor said, the great enthusiasm among voters in all three phases to exercise their franchise is a testimony to vibrant democracy in J&K and people’s faith in democratic values.
The Lieutenant Governor posted on X:
“Congratulations to the people for a record turnout in final phase of Assembly Elections. I applaud the tireless efforts of election officials, district admin, JKP & our security forces for successfully conducting multi-phased polls & strengthening the pillars of democracy.
Great enthusiasm among voters in all three phases to exercise their franchise is a testimony to vibrant democracy in J&K and people’s faith in democratic values. Transparent, free & fair assembly polls 2024 will be written in golden letters in the history of J&K elections”.

No repoll recorded in J&K assembly polls: EC

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission said no repolls have been recorded so far in the three-phased Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls which concluded on Tuesday.
It also noted that despite an increase in the number of assembly seats from 83 in 2014 to 90 in 2024, the elections were completed in three phases this time as against five in 2014.
No major law and order incidents related to the elections were reported, a significant improvement from 2014 when over 170 incidents were reported, including 87 on polling days, it said.
There also have been no complaints pertaining to arbitrary preventive detention of political functionaries in these elections which is “unprecedented”, the poll authority said.
The Election Commission (EC) had also strictly instructed against clubbing of polling stations just before the poll day, and accordingly, people voted at their actual polling station location as opposed to 98 polling stations shifted in 2014 at the eleventh hour.
The role of money and muscle power has been curtailed to a “significant extent”, it said.
These assembly polls have seen a seven per cent increase in the number of candidates contesting as compared to the assembly elections in 2014.
Women candidates made a significant leap, increasing from 28 to 43 in the corresponding period, while independent candidates saw a 26 per cent rise.