J&K Assembly Polls Phase 1: 58.85% Turnout as Voting Remains Peaceful

Srinagar: The first phase of Jammu and Kashmir’s historic three-phase Assembly elections concluded peacefully, with no incidents reported across the 24 constituencies in seven districts. Voter turnout reached 58.85%.

This marks the first Assembly election in a decade and the first since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, which altered the region’s status and reorganised it into Union Territories.

According to Election Commission data, Inderwal led with the highest turnout at 80.06%, followed by Padder-Nagseni at 76.80%, and Kishtwar at 75.04%. Doda West also saw a high turnout of 74.14%.

In the Kashmir Valley, Pahalgam reported the highest turnout of 67.86%, trailed by DH Pora (65.21%), Kulgam (59.58%), Kokernag (58%), and Dooru (57.90%). The lowest turnout was in Tral at 40.58%, with Pulwama district’s four constituencies still below the 50% mark.

The election environment has shifted significantly since the abrogation of Article 370, with major regional and national parties vying for influence. Key contenders include Farooq Abdullah’s NC, Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP, Congress, BJP, and others like Engineer Rashid’s Kashmir Awami Ittehad Party and Sajjad Lone’s People’s Conference. Separatist groups are also participating as independents.

Notable candidates in this phase include CPI(M)’s Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami in Kulgam, AICC’s Ghulam Ahmad Mir in Dooru, and PDP’s Sartaj Madni in Devsar. In Jammu, prominent figures include Sajjad Kitchloo (NC), Khalid Najid Suharwardy (NC), and Vikar Rasool Wani (Congress). NC and Congress have opted for a ‘friendly contest’ in certain areas despite their alliance.

In this phase, over 23 lakh voters are deciding the fate of 219 candidates, including 90 independents. The total electorate of 23,27,580 includes 11,76,462 males, 11,51,058 females, and 60 third-gender voters. Polling is overseen by 14,000 staff at 3,276 stations. The Jammu and Kashmir Police have implemented extensive security measures, including multi-tier protection by CAPF, J&K Armed Police, and J&K Police.

The second phase of voting is scheduled for September 25, with the third phase on October 1 and vote counting on October 8.