Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls: 61% revised voter turnout in phase 1, matches 2014 figures; Kishtwar sees 80% voting

About 61 percent voter turnout was recorded in the first phase of assembly elections held in 24 seats across seven districts of Jammu and Kashmir on September 18, the Election Commission of India said.

This is the first assembly election being held in the erstwhile state in ten years and also the first since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. The final turnout can go up as data from some stations are yet to be compiled, the commission said.

Of the 24 seats that voted on Wednesday, 16 are in Kashmir and eight in Jammu region of the erstwhile state. The other two phases will be held on September 25 and October 1. The results will be declared on October 8. 

60.19 % turnout in 2014

According to the Statistical report of the Election Commission of India, the voter turnout in these districts was 60.19 per cent in 2014 Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls, a PTI report said.

In the 2014 , 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.

The PDP-BJP government formed after the 2014 assembly elections could not last the full six-year term as BJP withdrew its support to former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2018. Since then the erstwhile state has been under Central rule.

Among seven districts, Kishtwar highest 80.14 per cent polling followed by Doda (71.34 per cent) and Ramban (70.55 per cent) in the Chenab valley region of Jammu, the poll panel said in its voter turnout mobile application.

In south Kashmir, Kulgam district led the turnout chart with 62.46 percent followed by Anantnag district (57.84 percent), Shopian district (55.96 percent) and Pulwama district (46.65 percent), the EC said.

"The Phase-1 of Legislative Assembly of J&K recorded an approximate voter turnout of 61.11 percent as of 11:30 pm. The same shall continue to be updated by the field level officers as the remaining polling parties keep returning,” the panel said in a press release late at Wednesday night.

In the Lok Sabha polls 2024, Jammu and Kashmir recorded a turnout of 58.46% was recorded, the highest in 35 years,

Mufti, Tarigami among key candidates

The fate of 219 candidates was sealed in first phase of voting in Wednesday. These included CPI-M's Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, who sought a fifth consecutive term from Kulgam seat.

PDP's Iltija Mufti, daughter of party chief Mehbooba Mufti, contested from family bastion Srigufwara-Bijbehara seat while Waheed ur Rehman Para of the PDP contested from Pulwama assembly seat. Congress leader and AICC general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir sought a third term from Dooru seat.

The Congress and the NC have allied for the assembly elections in the union territory. The PDP, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), People’s Conference, and other parties are also contenders.

In Jammu, key candidates included former ministers Sajjad Kitchloo, Shagun Parihar (Kishtwar), Khalid Najib Suharwardy (Doda) Vikar Rasool Wani (Banihal-Gool), Shakti Raj Parihar (Doda west), among others.

82.16 % turnout in Inderwal seat

In Kishtwar districts, the Inderwal seat recorded the highest 82.16 per cent voting followed by Padder-Nagseni (80.67 per cent) and Kishtwar (78.11 per cent).

In the nearby Doda district, Doda west segment recorded 75.98 per cent turnout, Doda (72.48 perc ent) and Bhaderwah (67.18 per cent).

In Ramban district, the Banihal segment recorded 71.28 percent and Ramban 69.60 percent turnout.

Among the seven constituencies of Anantnag district, Pahalgam recorded the highest voter turnout at 71.26 per cent, followed by Kokernag (62 per cent), Dooru (61.61 per cent), Srigufwara-Bijbehara (60.33 percent), Shangus-Anantnag (56.72 per cent), Anantnag West (48.73 per cent) and Anantnag 45.62 per cent.

In the 2014 assembly elections, the district wise poll percentage was: Pulwama 44 per cent, Shopian 48 per cent, Kulgam 59 per cent, Anantnag 60 percent, Ramban 70 per cent, Doda 73 per cent and Kishtwar 76 per cent.

(With PTI inputs)