Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Udhampur sees 65% voter turnout till 5 pm as J&K votes for first time after Article 370 repeal

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Phase One voting: The Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency in Jammu and Kashmir recorded nearly 65% voter turnout till 5 pm on Friday. Around 43 percent of the total electors in the constituency had cast their votes till 1 pm and approximately 58 percent turnout was recorded till 3 pm.

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In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, the voter turnout in Udhampur was recorded at 70.15 percent. It was 70.95 percent in the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections.

Udhampur is the only Lok Sabha constituency that went to polls in the first phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. There are a total five Lok Sabha constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir. This is the first elections n Jammu and Kashmir after Article 370 was abrogated by the Centre in 2019.

Voting in the J&K Lok Sabha seat began at 7 am. There are 2,637 polling stations across the constituency and 12 candidates in the fray, the Elections Commission of India said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fielded Union Minister Jitendra Singh as its candidate from Udhampur. He is contesting against Congress leader and two-time former MP Choudhary Lal Singh and the DPAP's G M Saroori, besides six independents.

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In the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, Jitendra Singh is eyeing a third term after winning the Udhampur seat for the BJP in 2014 and 2019.

According to PTI, early voters braved the inclement weather and were seen heading for polling stations before the start of voting, the officials said. They said more than 11,000 polling staff, including reserve, have been deployed while security arrangements are foolproof to ensure free and fair elections.

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There are a total of 84,468 potential first-time voters, aged 18-19 years, of which 45,825 are men, 38,641 are women and two are third genders. Officials said the constituency also has a sizable elderly population, with 12,020 men and 13,612 women aged 80 and above, totalling 25,632 seasoned voters contributing to the electoral process.

The officials said up to 1 pm, the Bani segment recorded a polling percentage 41.98, Banihal 30.41, Basohli 44.82, Bhaderwah 43.01, Bilawar 43.64, Chenani 43.39, Doda 46.87, Doda West 48.82, Hiranagar 43.30, Inderwal 48.87, Jasrota 48.94, Kathua (SC) 45.25, Kishtwar 34.24, Padder-Nagseni 48.56, Ramban 45.75, Ramnagar (SC) 42.17, Udhampur East 48.30 and Udhampur West 36.31.

(With inputs from PTI)