59 percent voting has taken place in the first phase of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Electoral Officer PK Pole said that the first phase of assembly elections in the Union Territory was held peacefully on Wednesday. About 59 percent voting took place in this phase, which is the highest in the last seven elections. This figure is likely to increase slightly as final reports from remote areas and results of postal ballots are yet to come.
In the first phase, polling was held in 24 assembly constituencies in seven districts of the state. Voting continued till 6 pm and after that, the Chief Electoral Officer, while talking to reporters, described the election as peaceful. Pole said, “There have been reports of minor incidents of altercation and scuffles from some polling stations, but there was no serious incident that required re-poll.”
59 percent voting took place in the first phase
The chief electoral officer described the 59 per cent polling as a positive sign for the state. He said the figure was the highest in the last seven elections – four Lok Sabha elections and three assembly elections. Pole said there were several factors behind the increased polling percentage, including improved security arrangements, active participation of political parties and candidates, and extensive publicity done by the election department.
Highest voting in Kishtwar
Talking about the performance of different districts in the voting, Kishtwar district recorded the highest voting percentage. 77 percent voting took place here, which is the highest compared to other districts of the state. At the same time, Pulwama district recorded the lowest voting percentage of 46 percent. This district was very important from the security point of view.
The chief electoral officer said that high voter turnout is expected for the remaining two phases as well. The second and third phases of polling are scheduled on September 25 and October 1. Pole expressed hope that given the successful conduct of the first phase and the peaceful atmosphere, similar voting can be seen in the coming phases as well.
