Historic 69.65% voter turnout in final phase of Jammu & Kashmir assembly elections

In a historic moment for Jammu and Kashmir, the third and final phase of the Legislative Assembly elections witnessed a voter turnout of 69.65 percent on Tuesday. The election marks the first time in 75 years that the West Pakistan Refugees, Valmikis, and Gurkhas were able to cast their votes in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, following years of disenfranchisement.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced that the polling in the final phase passed peacefully amid tight security. Udhampur district, with its four assembly segments, recorded the highest turnout of 76.09 percent, followed by Samba at 75.98 percent and Kathua at 73.34 percent. Baramulla district, however, saw the lowest voter turnout at 61.03 percent.

The overall voter turnout after the conclusion of all three phases stands at 63.45 percent, surpassing the turnout of the recent Lok Sabha elections in the Union Territory. In the first phase of polling, held on September 18, turnout reached 61.38 percent, followed by 57.31 percent in the second phase, culminating in the final phase's 69.65 percent.

The Marh assembly segment in Jammu district recorded the highest turnout at 81.47 percent, while Sopore in Baramulla district saw the lowest at 45.32 percent. Despite the low turnout in Sopore, it marked an improvement over the 2014 elections, where it recorded only 30.79 percent turnout.

Polling proceeded smoothly across all constituencies, including special polling stations along the International Border and Line of Control (LoC), with no incidents of violence reported. According to the ECI, more than 39.18 lakh eligible voters participated in this phase. Compared to the 2014 assembly elections, many constituencies in the third phase saw a decrease in turnout, attributed primarily to ongoing farming activities. However, Sopore, Baramulla, and Pattan constituencies saw an increase in turnout.

The assembly elections are the first since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, a significant political milestone in the region's history. Voting began at 7 AM and concluded peacefully at 6 PM, sealing the fate of 415 candidates, including prominent political figures. The counting of votes is scheduled for October 8.