Jammu-Kashmir Assembly Elections

Electors, spanning first-timers to the elderly, thronged polling booths in 40 Assembly constituencies across Jammu and Kashmir that went to vote today in the third and final phase of the polls, with turnout estimated at 65.48% as of 5 pm.

In the first and second phases of the J&K Assembly polls, nearly 62% and 58% voter turnout, respectively, was recorded. The voting figures in the third phase have exceeded those seen in the first and second phases.

Voting started at 7 am at all the 5,060 polling stations with a bright autumn sun greeting voters when they started pouring out to exercise their democratic right.

Of these, 1,842 polling stations, managed by over 8,000 polling staff, were set up in the Baramulla, Kupwara, and Bandipora districts in the Kashmir Valley, while 3,218 polling stations were set up in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, and Udhampur districts of Jammu division.

Special polling stations have been set up for Kashmiri migrant voters - 11 in Jammu, four in Delhi, and one in Udhampur district.

The highest turnout was in the Chumb Assembly seat of Jammu, at 77.35%, while the lowest was in Sopore, in Baramulla, at 41.44%.

In the third and final phase, 39.18 lakh voters were eligible to decide the political fate of 415 candidates in 11 constituencies in the Jammu district, three in Samba, six in Kathua, and four in Udhampur, while Baramulla has seven seats, Kupwara has six and Bandipora has three.

As the polling has now ended on all the seats of the Union Territory (UT), now the counting of votes, set to be taken up on October 8, will be much awaited.