Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024: NC-Congress vs BJP vs PDP — Who won how many seats since 1962?

Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024: The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir voted in the first phase on Wednesday, September 18, for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. The last assembly elections in the erstwhile state were held in 2014.

The first phase of voting for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections was held across 6 districts. Polling took place for 24 assembly seats—16 in Kashmir and 8 in Jammu.

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The second and third phases of voting in Jammu and Kashmir will be held on September 25 and October 1, respectively. The results will be announced on October 8.

This time, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly has 90 seats, unlike in previous assembly elections, when the number of constituencies ranged from 75 to 87.

The Congress and the NC have formed an alliance, while the BJP and the PDP are among the other main parties in the 2024 three-phase election. Apni Party, People's Conference, and Engineer Rashid's AIP are also players in some sections of the Kashmir Valley.

Jammu and Kashmir Election: Brief History

The first elections in Jammu and Kashmir took place in 1962, marking the beginning of democratic governance in the region.

Under Article 370, which the union government abrogatedon August 5, 2019, and subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly had a six-year term. Initially comprising 75 seats, the assembly's strength was later increased to 87 seats, including representatives from Ladakh.

The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, enacted following the revocation of Article 370, bifurcated the erstwhile state into two Union Territories: Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh. 

After the delimitation exercise in 2022, the assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir, UT, were increased to 90. This means a political party or a coalition needs to cross the majority mark of 46 assembly seats to form government in the Union Territory.

Jammu and Kashmir Election: Party-wise performance since 1962

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made its debut in the Jammu and Kashmir Elections in 1983 polls, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) contested its first assembly elections in 2002. The two parties formed a coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir in 2014.

This year, the National Conference (NC) and the Congress are fighting the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir together. The Samajwadi Party (SP) also supported the Congress and National Conference alliance in the J-K polls.

Here's a look at the performances of national and regional political parties in the past 10 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections: