Jammu and Kashmir recorded an overall voter turnout of over 62 per cent in all three phases of the maiden Assembly polls, held after the Abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A in 2019. The entire poll process was completed peacefully amid unprecedented security arrangements.
However, the 2024 Assembly polls could not breach the previous best 65.91 percent voter turnout recorded during the 2014 Assembly polls. In 2008, a 61 per cent voter turnout was recorded across Jammu and Kashmir.
The highest voter turnout of over 66 percent was recorded across 40 Assembly segments across seven districts on Tuesday. The first and the second phases witnessed 61.38 and 57.31 per cent voter turnout respectively.
The first-time voters, belonging to the West Pakistani refugee community, Valmikis, and Gorkha community danced to the polling booths in jubilation and also distributed sweets as they exercised their right to franchise for the first time in the Assembly polls.
In the Jammu region, 18 out of 24 Assembly segments (across Jammu, Samba, Kathua, and Udhampur districts) witnessed over 70 per cent voter turnout while only two assembly segments of Bahu and Jammu West witnessed less than 60 per cent polling till 5 pm.
In Kashmir valley, only two Assembly segments of Gurez and Handwara witnessed over 70 per cent voter turnout while seven segments (across Bandipora, Kupwara, and Baramulla) witnessed over 60 per cent voter turnout. Five Assembly constituencies witnessed over 55 per cent voter turnout and 2 Assembly segments of Sopore and Baramulla witnessed less than 50 per cent voter turnout on Tuesday.
Stakes were high for the Bharatiya Janta Party in the final round of polling across 24 Assembly segments. Compared to 2014, the 11 Assembly segments of Jammu district witnessed approximately eight per cent less polling in 2024. The significant drop in voter turnout may alter the poll results on seats that were witnessing close contests between the BJP and the Congress/National Conference. BJP is placed comfortably in the Udhampur district.
All four Assembly segments recorded over 70 per cent voter turnout. Similarly, six Assembly segments of Kathua also recorded a healthy voter turnout of 70.53 per cent while Samba recorded 72.41 per cent voter turnout.
In Kashmir, Baramulla district recorded a 55.73 per cent turnout till 5 pm while Bandipora reported 63.33 per cent polling and Kupwara witnessed 62.76 per cent polling in the final phase.
The strong bastion of Peoples Conference leader Sajad Lone witnessed close to 70 per cent polling while Langate, strong bastion of Er Rashid witnessed close to 60 per cent polling. The remote areas of Karnah, Lolab and Trehgam also recorded over 60 per cent polling.
The fate of several senior leaders including two former deputy Chief Ministers Tara Chand and Muzaffar Beig was sealed in the voting machines. Prominent among others in the fray included People’s Conference chairman and former Minister Sajjad Lone and National Panthers Party India president Harsh Dev Singh. While Lone contested from the two seats from Kupwara, Singh is contesting from the Chennai seat of Udhampur.
Former Ministers Raman Bhalla (R S Pura), Usman Majid (Bandipora), Nazir Ahmad Khan (Gurez), Taj Mohiuddin (Uri), Basharat Bukhari (Wagoora-Kreeri), Imran Ansari (Pattan), Ghulam Hassan Mir (Gulmarg), Choudhary Lal Singh (Basohli), Rajiv Jasrotia (Jasrota), Manohar Lal Sharma (Billawar), Sham Lal Sharma and Ajay Kumar Sadhotra (Jammu North), Mula Ram (Marh), Chander Prakash Ganga and Manjit Singh (Vijapur) were other strong contenders in the fray.
