Jammu and Kashmir Sees Over 61 Percent Voter Turnout in First Phase of Assembly Elections

A voter turnout exceeding 61 percent was observed in the initial phase of assembly elections across 24 segments in seven districts of Jammu and Kashmir, according to the Election Commission. The final percentage may increase as data from some polling stations is still pending, and postal ballots are not yet included. Kishtwar district recorded the highest turnout at 80.14 percent, followed by Doda with 71.34 percent and Ramban at 70.55 percent.

The first assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 took place peacefully. The last assembly elections were held in 2014. Chief Electoral Officer P K Pole noted that the voting concluded without any major incidents, with only minor scuffles reported at a few polling stations. Over 2.3 million voters were eligible to decide the fate of 219 candidates, including 90 Independents.

District-wise Voter Turnout

In south Kashmir, Kulgam district led with a turnout of 62.46 percent, followed by Anantnag at 57.84 percent, Shopian at 55.96 percent, and Pulwama at 46.65 percent. In Kishtwar district, Inderwal constituency saw the highest turnout at 82.16 percent, followed by Padder-Nagseni with 80.67 percent and Kishtwar at 78.11 percent.

In Doda district, the Doda West segment recorded a turnout of 75.98 percent, Doda had 72.48 percent, and Bhaderwah saw 67.18 percent participation. Ramban district's Banihal segment recorded a turnout of 71.28 percent, while Ramban itself had a turnout of 69.60 percent.

Comparison with Previous Elections

The voter turnout of approximately 61.11 percent as of late night was higher than previous elections in the region, according to P K Pole. This increase is attributed to improved security, active political participation, and effective campaigning by the election department.

In Anantnag district, Pahalgam recorded the highest voter turnout at 71.26 percent among its seven constituencies, followed by Kokernag with 62 percent and Dooru at 61.61 percent. In Pulwama district, Pulwama segment witnessed a turnout of 50.42 percent, Rajpora had 48.07 percent, Pampore recorded 44.74 percent, and Tral saw a turnout of 43.21 percent.

Polling Stations for Migrant Voters

Polling was conducted across 3,276 stations in seven districts and included special stations for migrant Pandits in Jammu, Udhampur, and Delhi. Among over 35,000 eligible Kashmiri migrant voters, about 31.42 percent participated: 27 percent voted at stations in Jammu, 40 percent in Delhi, and 30 percent in Udhampur.

Shopian district's Shopian segment recorded a voter turnout of 57.78 percent while Zainapora had a turnout of 54.28 percent. In Kulgam district, D H Pora saw a turnout of 68.45 percent; Kulgam itself recorded a turnout of 62.76 percent; Devsar had a turnout of 57.33 percent.

The Election Commission expressed satisfaction with the high voter participation during this phase compared to previous Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir which saw a turnout of about 58.58 percent—the highest in over three decades.

The election commission also noted long queues at polling stations as evidence of public confidence in the democratic process within Jammu and Kashmir during these elections.

P K Pole expressed optimism for high voter participation in the upcoming phases on September 25 and October 1 as well.