J&K Assembly elections conclude; ‘historic’ 65.5% turnout in final phase surpasses Lok Sabha numbers, says poll panel

The third and final phase of Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday saw a turnout of 65.58 per cent till 7 pm, the Election Commission of India said. As many as 40 seats across seven districts of the erstwhile state voted in the final phase today.

With Tuesday's third and final phase, the voting for Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls has concluded. The votes will be counted on October 8.

The poll panel called the exercise ‘historic’ with no repolls so far and overall voting beating Lok Sabha elections 2024 numbers.

Jammu and Kashmir is holding its first Assembly elections in 10 years. This is also the first Assembly election in the UT after the abrogation of special status under Article 370 in August 2019.

"As of 7 pm, a voter turnout of 65.58 per cent was recorded at the polling stations," said the Election Commission.

The first phase of voting was held on September 18 and the second phase on September 25. A voter turnout of 61 per cent was recorded in the first phase while the approximate voter turnout was 57.3 per cent in the second phase of voting, according to poll panel data.

Turnout surpasses Lok Sabha elections

In the recently held parliamentary polls, turnout in the seven districts that voted on Tuesday was recorded at 66.78 per cent.

The voter turnout in Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Assembly polls in the Union Territory was also higher than in the Lok Sabha elections.

While seven districts in Phase 1 recorded 61.38 per cent turnout in these Assembly elections, it was 60 per cent in the general elections, news agency PTI reported.

Similarly, six districts that went to polls in Phase 2 of the Assembly polls recorded 57.31 per cent polling as compared to 52.17 per cent turnout in the Lok Sabha polls, according to available data.

90 seats in Jammu and Kashmir

Following a delimitation exercise, the number of Assembly seats has gone up from 83 to 90, excluding those allocated to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Last December, the Supreme Court directed the poll panel to hold Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30.

Among districts that voted on Tuesday, Udhampur in Jammu recorded about 73 per cent turnout. Baramulla in Kashmir saw 55.7 per cent turnout, the poll panel said.

Peaceful, participative elections are historic: CEC

The election in Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing a multi-cornered fight for the 90 seats. While the National Conference and the Congress are fighting the elections in an alliance, the People's Democratic Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are the two other major players.

“J&K Assembly elections have marked a significant deepening of democracy which will echo in the pages of history and continue to inspire a democratic spirit of the region for years to come," Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Rajiv Kumar was quoted as saying in a poll panel statement. He dedicated these elections to the people of J&K acknowledging their determination and belief in the democratic process.

"The peaceful and participative elections are historic, wherein democracy is taking root more profoundly than ever before, driven by the will of people of J&K," Kumar said.