Jammu/Srinagar, Sep 18 (UNI) An estimated 58.19 percent voter turnout was recorded till 5 pm on Wednesday in the first phase of Assembly election held for 24 constituencies in seven districts in Jammu and Kashmir.
Voting was peaceful in three districts of Jammu region and four of Srinagar region, officials said.
Earlier, voters waited in long queues for their turn to exercise the franchise in the first poll in a decade for picking a 90-member Assembly.
In the 10 hours, overall voting in the first phase of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election touched 58.19 percent with Inderwal recording highest 80.06 percent, Padder-Nagseni recording 76.80 percent, Kishtwar 75.04 percent, Doda West recording 74.14 percent while Tral recording the lowest of 40.58 percent, officials said.
Wednesday’s election was the first major democratic exercise to elect an Assembly since the abrogation of Article 370 and converting the State into a Union Territory in August 2019. The last Assembly election in the erstwhile J&K state was held in 2014.
National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah said that people were waiting for the past 10 years to exercise their democratic voting rights. “It is a good thing that people have come out to vote very early,” Omar told the media in Srinagar.
Congress General Secretary and candidate from Dooru Assembly constituency in Jammu and Kashmir, Ghulam Ahmad Mir said that people overwhelmingly voted on issues like statehood, land rights and jobs. “I have voted today with the intention to change the 10-year-old poor rule of Delhi in the Jammu and Kashmir,” Mir told media persons after casting his vote in a polling station of Dooru assembly segment
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called upon voters, especially “young and first-time voters,” to exercise their franchise as polling for the first phase of assembly election has begun in Jammu and Kashmir.
On the social media post of X, Modi wrote, “As the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections begins, I urge all those in constituencies going to the polls today to vote in large numbers and strengthen the festival of democracy. I particularly call upon young and first-time voters to exercise their franchise.”
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha posted on X, “J&K Assembly elections commence today. I call upon all the voters whose assembly constituencies are voting in the first phase today to turn out in record numbers & exercise their democratic rights. I especially urge youth, women and first-time voters to vote in large numbers.”
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also appealed to voters in Jammu and Kashmir to come out and vote in large numbers to bring peace, stability, justice and progress in the Union Territory. “Every single vote holds the power to shape the future and bring about an era of peace, stability, justice, progress, and economic empowerment. We appeal to all, especially first-time voters, to participate in this crucial election and be the catalysts for change,” Kharge said on X.
The polling began at 7 AM in all the 3276 polling stations across 24 Assembly Constituencies in seven districts.
The other two phases of Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir will be held on September 25 and on October 1. The counting will take place on October 8.
A total of 23.27 lakh voters are eligible to vote to decide the electoral fate of 219 candidates in this phase of the election.
Prominent candidates in the first phase include senior Congress working committee member Ghulam Ahmed Mir, PDP’s Iltija Mufti (daughter of Party Chief Mehbooba Mufti), CPIM leader Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami, PDP youth leader Waheed Para, former MP and National Conference leader Hasnain Masoodi, senior NC leader Sakeena Itoo, BJP leader Sofi Youusf, former Jamaat-e-Islami member Talat Majeed, independent candidate G M Saroori, BJP’s Sushri Parihar, NC’s Sajad Kichloo among others.
