Jammu and Kashmir state elections: 61% revised turnout in phase 1, in line with 2014 figures; Kishtwar sees 80% voting | Mint

The voter turnout in the first phase of state assembly elections, held on September 18 in 24 constituencies in seven districts of Jammu and Kashmir, was around 61 percent, the Election Commission of India said.

These are the first state assembly elections in a decade and also the first since the abolition of Article 370 in 2019. The final turnout may still increase as data from some stations has not yet been collected, the commission said.

Of the 24 seats voted on Wednesday, 16 are in Kashmir and eight are in the Jammu region of the erstwhile state.

60.19% turnout in 2014

According to the statistical report of the Election Commission of India, the voter turnout in the 2014 Jammu and Kashmir elections in these districts was 60.19 percent, a PTI report showed.

In 2014, there were 22 seats in Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian districts, where polling was held on Wednesday. However, after the 2022 delimitation, two seats were added, one each in Doda and Kishtwar districts.

The PDP-BJP government formed after the 2014 elections could not last a full six-year term as the 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.

Of the seven districts, Kishtwar had the highest voter turnout (80.14 per cent), followed by Doda (71.34 per cent) and Ramban (70.55 per cent) in Jammu's Chenab Valley, the polling body said in its mobile application for measuring voter turnout.

In south Kashmir, Kulgam district topped the turnout table 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 J&K Legislative Assembly Phase-1 recorded an estimated voter turnout of 61.11 per cent as at 11.30 pm. The field officials will continue to update this as the remaining polling stations return,” the panel said in a press release late on Wednesday evening.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Jammu and Kashmir recorded a voter turnout of 58.46%, the highest in 35 years.

Mufti and Tarigami are among the leading candidates

The fate of 219 candidates was sealed in the first phase of voting on Wednesday, including Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami of CPI-M, who was seeking a fifth consecutive term from Kulgam seat.

PDP's Iltija Mufti, daughter of party leader Mehbooba Mufti, contested the election from the family stronghold of Srigufwara-Bijbehara seat, while PDP's Waheed ur Rehman Para contested the election from the Pulwama Assembly seat. Congress leader and AICC General Secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir sought a third term from the Dooru seat.

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

In Jammu, 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's seat

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

In nearby Doda district, western part of Doda, the turnout was 75.98 percent, in Doda (72.48 percent) and Bhaderwah (67.18 percent).

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

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

In the 2014 state Assembly elections, the percentage of polling by district was as follows: Pulwama 44 percent, Shopian 48 percent, Kulgam 59 percent, Anantnag 60 percent, Ramban 70 percent, Doda 73 percent and Kishtwar 76 percent.