Kashmir Districts See Upward Surge In Assembly Polling Trends, Outpaces Previous Lok Sabha Elections

Jammu and Kashmir recorded an estimated voter turnout of about 70% in the third and final phase of the assembly elections. On October 1, polling took place in 40 assembly segments across seven districts, marking the end of the three-phase election, held in J&K after a decade.

According to the Election Commission of India's (ECI) updated estimates, voter turnout in the third phase was approximately 69.65%, with further revisions expected as data from some polling stations is still being processed.

The ECI said that these figures do not yet include postal ballots, reported the Rising Kashmir.

District-wise, Udhampur in Jammu division, with four assembly segments, recorded the highest voter turnout at 76.09%. Meanwhile, Baramulla, which has seven segments, saw the lowest turnout at 61.03%. Other districts' voter turnout included Bandipora at 67.68%, Jammu at 71.40%, Kathua at 73.34%, Kupwara at 66.79%, and Samba at 75.88%.

The ECI noted that the data is still being input by field officers and could see further updates. These estimates are tentative as some polling data takes time to be fully collected.

Comparative figures from the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 and the assembly elections of 2008 and 2014 show that Kashmir districts experienced an increase in voter turnout for the 2024 Assembly polls, while Reasi and Jammu districts recorded a slight drop compared to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The overall voter turnout for the assembly elections was tentatively around 64%. In the first phase, 61.38% of voters turned out, followed by 57.31% in the second phase, and 69.65% in the third phase.

Among the districts, Kishtwar had the highest voter turnout at 80.20%, followed by Udhampur at 76.09%, Samba at 75.88%, and Reasi at 74.68%.

The Kashmir division's districts also showed improved voter turnout compared to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, though there was a mixed trend when compared to the 2014 assembly elections.

Districts in the Kashmir division, such as Kupwara, Baramulla, and Anantnag, saw higher voter participation than in the Lok Sabha elections, with Kupwara recording 65.81%, Baramulla 59.84%, and Anantnag 57.90% in the Assembly polls.

In contrast, districts in Jammu division, like Kishtwar, Doda, and Ramban, saw higher voter turnout in the assembly polls compared to the 2024 parliamentary elections. For instance, Kishtwar saw an increase from 66.59% in the Lok Sabha elections to 80.20% in the assembly elections.

The ECI had announced the J&K assembly election schedule on August 16, 2024. The first phase, covering 24 assembly segments, took place on September 18; the second phase, for 26 segments, on September 25; and the final phase, for 40 constituencies, concluded on October 1.