J&K Assembly elections end with 68.72% voter turnout in final phase

Jammu/Srinagar: The third and final phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections concluded on Tuesday with a remarkable voter turnout of 68.72 per cent, surpassing the figures recorded during the recent Lok Sabha polls in the corresponding seven districts. This phase marked a significant milestone in the region’s democratic process, with traditional boycott bastions like Sopore and Baramulla recording their highest turnout in three decades.

According to the Election Commission (EC) data, the overall polling percentage across all three phases stood at 63.45 per cent. Officials reported that the voting process was conducted peacefully, including at special polling stations along the International Border and Line of Control (LoC), with no untoward incidents reported. The turnout in the final phase exceeded the 66.78 per cent recorded in the same districts during the recent parliamentary elections. This trend of higher participation was consistent across all phases, with Phase 1 recording 61.38 per cent (compared to 60 per cent in Lok Sabha polls) and Phase 2 seeing 57.31 per cent (up from 52.17 per cent in general elections).

Long queues outside polling stations since early morning marked the enthusiasm among people who voted for the first time in the Assembly elections post the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.

The seven districts that went to polls in the final phase showed varying levels of participation. Samba district recorded the highest turnout at 73.45 per cent, followed by Udhampur at 72.91 per cent, Kathua at 70.53 per cent, Jammu at 66.79 per cent, Bandipora at 64.85 per cent, Kupwara at 62.76 per cent, and Baramulla at 55.73 per cent. Among individual constituencies, Chhamb in Jammu district topped the list with a 77.35 per cent turnout.