Jammu and Kashmir elections: 26.72% voter turnout recorded till 11 am in first phase
Polling is underway in seven districts: Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian.
Join our WhatsApp Community to receive travel deals, free stays, and special offers!
- Join Now -
Join our WhatsApp Community to receive travel deals, free stays, and special offers!
- Join Now -
The first phase of the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir began on Wednesday, with 24 out of the 90 seats in the Union territory going to the polls. These are the first Assembly elections since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
Polling is underway in seven districts: Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian. A turnout of 26.72% was recorded till 11 am, with the Kishtwar district registering the highest figure of 32.69% and Pulwama with the lowest figure of 20.37%.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge urged people in Jammu and Kashmir to vote in large numbers.
Among the prominent candidates in the fray are the Peoples Democratic Party’s Iltija Mufti and Waheed Para, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami and Congress general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir from Dooru.
While the Congress and the National Conference are contesting the Assembly elections in alliance, both parties have fielded candidates in Banihal, Bhaderwah, and Doda in a “friendly but disciplined contest”.
As the polling for the first phase began, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said he hoped voters in Jammu and Kashmir would avoid "fragmentation of their votes", reported PTI.
“People will have to keep it [the independent candidates] in mind, because most of these candidates are in Kashmir,”...
