Jammu and Kashmir elections: 54% voter turnout recorded till 5 pm in second phase

Voting for the second phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections began at 7 am on Wednesday, with 26 out of the 90 seats in the Union territory going to polls.

These are the first Assembly elections in the Union territory since the abrogation of Article 370, which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

More than 250 candidates are in the fray in six districts: Ganderbal, Srinagar and Budgam in the Kashmir valley, and Jammu region’s Reasi, Rajouri and Poonch.

At 5 pm, the Union territory had recorded a voter turnout of 54%. The highest turnout at 71.81% was seen in Reasi and the lowest at 27.31% was recorded in Srinagar.

Among the prominent faces contesting on Wednesday is former Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah. He is fighting against Peoples Democratic Party leader Bashir Ahmad Mir and jailed cleric and Independent Sarjan Barkati in Ganderbal.

Abdullah is also contesting from the Budgam constituency against Peoples Democratic Party’s Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi.

Congress’ Jammu and Kashmir chief Tariq Hameed Karra is fighting the polls from the Central Shaltengh constituency with support from ally National Conference. Bharatiya Janata Party’s Jammu and Kashmir president Ravinder Raina is seeking re-election from the Nowshera seat.

Apni Party chief Altaf Bhukhari is contesting...

Read more