No significant change from 2014 in voter turnout in phase 1 of J&K polls

SRINAGAR: There was not a significant change from 2014 in the voter turnout in the 24 segments that voted in phase one of Jammu and Kashmir polls on Wednesday, the first assembly elections since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

According to the Election Commission, the tentative voter turnout for the 24 assembly seats spread over seven districts stood at 59 per cent. This figure may go up slightly as some of the polling stations are located in remote areas of the Pir Panjal Mountain range.

According to the Statistical report of the Election Commission of India on the 2014 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly polls, the voter turnout in these districts was 60.19 per cent.

In the 2014 assembly polls, there were 22 seats in the districts of Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian where polling was held on Wednesday.

However, after the delimitation exercise of 2022, two seats — one each in Doda and Kishtwar districts — were added.

While the two segments in terrorism-infested Shopian district registered higher voter turnout in these elections, the percentage of people exercising their franchise in the neighbouring Pulwama district dropped by a couple of percentage points.

The biggest drop was witnessed in Shangus-Anantnag segment where only 52.94 per cent voters cast their ballots against 68.78 percent 10 years ago.

In the Damhal Hanjipora segment, earlier known as Noorabad, 68 percent voters cast their votes this time against a massive 80.92 percent turnout registered in 2014.

Doda and Doda West segments registered a turnout of 70.21 percent and 74.14 percent respectively. Before delimitation, the segments had seen a turnout of 79.51 percent.

Kokernag, which was reserved constituency for Scheduled Tribes after the delimitation, saw the turnout drop by more than seven percentage points as only 58.00 percent electorate cast their votes.

The Inderwal segment registered a turnout of 80 percent this time against 75.72 percent witnessed 10 years ago, but neighbouring Kishtwar saw a dip in the turnout from 78.23 percent to 75.04 percent.

For the 16 seats in the valley, the turnout of was more or less the same as in 2014. While 53.55 percent electorate cast their votes on Wednesday, the turnout in 2014 was 54.93 percent.

According to officials, the polling across the four districts of Kashmir was peaceful with no major untoward incident reported.

This is the first election in Jammu and Kashmir since 2014 and also the first in the union territory set up. A multi-cornered contest was seen on most of the seats with the entry of Jamaat-e-Islami backed independents splicing up the campaign. (PTI)