The third phase of voting in Jammu and Kashmir saw a voter turnout of 28.12 per cent as of 11 am on Tuesday, as per the Election Commission of India.
According to the latest data issued by ECI, Bandipore recorded the highest voter turnout of 28.04 per cent as of 11 am, followed by Baramulla at 23.20 per cent of voter turnout.
Meanwhile, Jammu recorded voters turnout of 27.15 per cent and Kathua at 31.79 per cent and Kupwara at 27.34 per cent. Voting commenced on Tuesday for the third and final phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, covering 40 seats across seven districtrictricts, including the winter capital Jammu.
More than 39.18 lakh eligible voters are set to decide the electoral fate of 415 candidates, including two former deputy chief ministers Tara Chand and Muzaffar Baig.
The election will witness West Pakistani refugees, the Valmiki Samaj, and the Gorkha community exercise their franchise, having gained voting rights for the first assembly polls following the 2019 abrogation of Article 370.
They previously participated in the Block Development Council and the districtrictrict Development Council polls of 2019 and 2020, respectively.
Remember this election is about self-respect, rights of J&K people: Rahul
October 1, 2024 10:54 am
Rahul Gandhi tells voters remember that this election is about their self-respect and rights. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge appealed to the voters to "teach a lesson" to those who snatched statehood from them. In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, "All voters are requested to come out of their homes in large numbers and vote for INDIA. Your every vote for INDIA will secure the foundation of the future of Jammu and Kashmir, and will give you the strength to fight for your rights." Kharge also called on the people of Jammu and Kashmir to exercise their franchise. "As voting for the third phase of the Jammu and Kashmir elections commences, I urge the people in these 40 Assembly seats to exercise their Democratic rights in large numbers," the Congress president said on X.
11. 6 % voting recorded till 9 am
October 1, 2024 9:44 am
A collective percentage of 11.6% voter turnout has been recorded till 9:00 am in the first phase of Assembly elections in J&K, official data said.
J-K needs visionary govt that can take strong decisions on security, stability: Amit Shah
October 1, 2024 9:22 am
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the people of the Union Territory should exercise their franchise to form a government that would keep away terrorism, separatism, corruption and dynastic politics. Shah also said Jammu and Kashmir needed a government that was visionary and could take strong decisions for security, peace and stability. "Today, the people voting in Jammu and Kashmir in the last phase should use their power of vote to form a government that keeps Jammu and Kashmir away from terrorism, separatism, corruption and dynastic politics and is determined to protect the rights of every section," he said in a post in Hindi on X. The home minister asked the people to cast their vote for tourism, education, employment and all-round development in Jammu and Kashmir.
Ghulam Nabi Azad among early voters, urges people to exercise franchise
October 1, 2024 9:12 am
Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday appealed to voters to exercise their franchise in the third and last phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls. Azad, who was among the early voters here, also said that unemployment is the biggest issue in the union territory but it has not been given due attention by both regional and national parties. Azad cast his vote at Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Gandhi Nagar in the first hour of polling. "Every voter, whether male or female, elderly or young, should come out to vote because this election is happening after a long gap of 10 years... it is their choice who they want to vote for, which party or candidate, ... but they should vote," the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said. Asked about West Pakistani refugees, Valmikis and the Gorkha community who are eligible to vote in the assembly elections for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, Azad said some issues have been there since 1947 and they were always used by different parties for their political gains. "There are current issues like statehood, Article 35A and growing unemployment, which is the biggest problem and is linked to every religion and the future of the youth," he said. No regional or national party has focused on the issue of unemployment as they should have during campaigning. On the possibility of the DPAP or someone else emerging as the kingmaker after the elections, Azad said that in a democracy, people are the real fountainheads and not the parties. "It is the people who vote you to power and let us leave it to the voters and see who they want to hand over the power to," he said.
PM Modi urges voters to come forward to make festival of democracy a success
October 1, 2024 9:04 am
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged voters to come forward and exercise their franchise in the third and final phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections to make the festival of democracy a success. "Today is the third and last round of voting in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. I request all voters to come forward and cast their votes to make the festival of democracy a success," Modi said in a post in Hindi on X. "I am confident that apart from the young friends who are going to vote for the first time, women power will also participate in the voting in large numbers," the prime minister said.
16 assembly segments
October 1, 2024 9:04 am
The assembly segments in the region going to the polls are Baramulla, Uri, Rafiabad, Pattan, Gulmarg, Sopore, and Wagoora-Kreeri (Baramulla district), Kupwara, Karnah, Trehgam, Handwara, Lolab, and Langate (Kupwara district), and Bandipora, Sonawari, and Gurez (Bandipora district). A total of 202 candidates are in the fray in these 16 segments.
