LIVE | Jammu and Kashmir Elections Phase 1: 58.19% voter turnout recorded at 5 pm IST

58.19% voter turnout recorded till 5 pm in the first phase of Jammu & Kashmir Assembly election, as per Election Commission of India (EC).

Long queues as phase 1 of J-K polls proceed peacefully, steadily; 50.65 per cent turnout till 3 pm (Eds: Updating figures, adding quotes; with pics and video) Srinagar/Jammu, Sep 18 (PTI) Men and women, the young and old, some too frail to walk and others patiently waiting their turn, queued up outside polling booths in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday as phase one of the union territory's first assembly elections since 2019 proceeded peacefully and steadily.

Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Congress leader Gurdeep Singh Sappal said: "BJP made many promises to J&K when Article 370 was abrogated but today the situation is such that Kashmir is at number 2 in unemployment. This has not happened anywhere else in in the country. In 2005 the unemployment rate here was 5.67 per cent and now it has gone up three times."

According to Election Commission data, the highest turnout has been recorded in Kishtwar at 56.86 percent and the lowest in Pulwama at 29.84 percent, till 1 pm.

Overall polling percentage recorded 41.17 per cent at 1 pm IST, according to the chief electoral officer. 

"Polling is going on very smoothly in all four Assembly constituencies and all our sector magistrates, zonal magistrates are also in the field. I am also visiting the polling stations and there is a lot of enthusiasm among our voters and voting is going on smoothly," said Pulwama Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer Basharat Qayoom.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday (Sep 18) urged people in Jammu and Kashmir to vote for the INDIA bloc. 

"My brothers and sisters of Jammu and Kashmir, today the first phase of voting is being held. For the first time in the history of the country, a state's statehood has been taken away and it has been made a union territory - this is a violation of all your constitutional rights, an insult to Jammu and Kashmir," Gandhi said in a post in X (formerly Twitter). 

"Today, come out of your homes in the largest of numbers possible and exercise your democratic right - vote for INDIA," Gandhi added.

“In a positive way, these 10 years gave us the time to think and decide whom we want to vote considering the situation," said Talat Majid, Independent candidate from Pulwama Assembly constituency backed by Jamaat-e-Islami. 

Overall polling percentage: 26.72%
            
1. Anantnag - 16.90%
2. Anantnag (West) - 21.26%
3. Banihal - 30%
4. Bhaderwah - 30.38%
5. DH Pora - 27.74%
6. Devsar - 24.32%
7. Doda  - 31.96 %
8. Doda (West)  - 35.08%
9. Dooru -26.97%
10. Inderwal - 40.36%
11. Kishtwar - 26.38%
12. Kokernag (ST) - 29%
13. Kulgam - 26%
14. Padder-Nagseni -32.15%
15. Pahalgam - 31.62%
16. Pampore -19.60 %
17. Pulwama - 23.09 %
18. Rajpora - 21.17 %
19. Ramban - 32.85 %
20. Shangus - Anantnag (East) - 25.09%
21. Shopian - 27%
22. Srigufwara-Bijbehara - 27.60%
23. Tral -17.50%
24. Zainapora - 25%

Khalid Najib Suharwardy, the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference candidate for the Doda Assembly Constituency, called on the public to participate actively in the elections, emphasising the significance of regaining special status for the region.

He urged the people of the valley to engage in the electoral process to fight and gain back the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

Speaking to ANI said, "I appeal to the people to come out and vote. This is not an ordinary election, it has come after ten years. We want statehood and special status here. We will fight for that and this is a first step in that direction."
 

Former president of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee Vikar Rasool Wani was among the early voters to cast their ballot at a polling station in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district has expressed confidence in his victory.

"I contested and won in 2008 and 2014. Today, I see overwhelming support in my favour than in the past. I am confident of victory in this election as well. Compared to previous elections, my confidence is even higher. We will win this election too. Mark my words," he told reporters.

He also slammed the BJP government for the gap in holding elections.

"Who is at fault that assembly elections are taking place in J&K after a gap of 10 long years? BJP is responsible for this otherwise the elections should have taken place in 2019," said the Congress leader.

Khalid Najib Suharwardy, the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference candidate for the Doda Assembly Constituency, called on the public to participate actively in the elections, emphasizing the significance of regaining special status for the region.

He urged the people of the valley to engage in the electoral process to fight and gain back the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

After casting his vote, Jammu & Kashmir National Conference candidate from Doda Assembly Constituency, Khalid Najib Suharwardy, while speaking to ANI said, "Voting is going on smoothly. There is a good trend. We hope that the National Conference will win. I appeal to the people to come out and vote. This is not an ordinary election, it has come after ten years. We want statehood and special status here. We will fight for that and this is a first step in that direction."

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has called upon the voters to turn out in record numbers as the first phase of voting for assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir began on Wednesday.

"J&K Assembly elections commence today. I call upon all the voters whose assembly constituencies are voting in the first phase today to turn out in record numbers & exercise their democratic rights. I especially urge youth, women and first-time voters to vote in large numbers," the office of the LG said in a post on X.
 

As per the ECI, Kishtwar recorded a voter turnout of 14.83 per cent followed by Doda 12.90 per cent, Ramban 11.91 per cent, Shopian 11.44 per cent, Kulgam 10.77 per cent, Anantnag recorded 10.26 per cent and Pulwama recorded 9.18 per cent.

The first phase of voting in Jammu and Kashmir saw a cumulative voter turnout of 11.11 per cent as of 9 am, as per the Election Commission of India.

Mohit Ban, the leader and spokesperson of the PDP, stated that the queues witnessed during the polls are a testament to Delhi's inhumane actions towards the people of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019 — abrogation of Article 370.

Speaking to ANI, Ban said, "The queues formed during the polls are the testimony of the decisions that Delhi took on August 5, 2019, and the way they were inhumane to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Once these queues end and the results are out on October 8, you will see the verdict of the people is against the decision of 5th August 2019."

"The people have seen how their resources, their lands, jobs and identities have been under attack for the last five years. The way there are queues across all booths, we see anger and emotions pouring in from the people," he added.

As many as 23.27 lakh voters in 24 Assembly constituencies of seven districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian in the Valley and Banihal, Kishtwar and Doda in Jammu division will decide the fate of 219 candidates today.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has appealed to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to vote in large numbers to form a government which is committed to education of the youth, employment, empowerment of women and ending separatism.

Shah also said that only a government with a strong will can create a terror-free Jammu and Kashmir, protect the rights of the citizens there, and speed up development work.

"Today, my appeal to the voters going to exercise their franchise in the first phase of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections is to vote in large numbers to form a government which is committed to education of the youth, employment, empowerment of women and ending separatism and nepotism in the region," the BJP leader wrote on X in Hindi.

Polling for the second and third phases of the Assembly elections will be held on September 25 and October 1, respectively.

Counting of the votes is scheduled to be held on October 8.

In J&K, as per the election commission of India, a total of 486 candidates filed nomination papers till September 12 (last day of nomination). Of these, the nomination papers of 449 candidates were found to be valid. 34 candidates withdrew from the race, leaving 415 candidates in the final election fray for phase 3.

Overall, a total of 873 candidates are now in the fray for the 90 assembly constituencies. This includes 219 candidates for 24 seats in Phase 1, 239 candidates for 26 seats in Phase 2, and 415 candidates for the final 40 seats in Phase 3, according to officials.

Over 7.14 lakh eligible voters in Jammu and Kashmir's Chenab valley are casting their votes to determine the outcome of the assembly elections' first phase.

Amidst increased security measures, polling began at 7 am in all 1,328 polling stations across Chenab valley districts of Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban.

These are the first assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories — Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir. The last assembly election was held in 2014.