NEW DELHI: As polls in Jammu and Kashmir wound up with no major law and order incidents, higher participation by candidates and better turnouts as compared to 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Election Commission claimed to have delivered on its promise of ensuring democratic resurgence in the Union Territory.
While the first phase of polling on Sept 18 recorded a higher turnout (61.3%) than in both the LS poll and 2014 assembly elections, polling percentage in Phase 2 (on Sept 25) was higher than LS poll but lower than the last assembly poll.At around 67%, the turnout in Phase 3 has exceeded the 2024 LS poll figure (66.8%) but will still be short of that recorded in 2014 assembly elections.
EC, in a statement on Tuesday, shared that no law and order incidents were recorded in these polls as against 170 in 2014 assembly poll, including 87 on polling days. It added that no arbitrary, poll-eve detentions of political functionaries or last-minute change in polling stations (PS), as against 98 PS shifted in 2014, was resorted to. Besides, curbs on money and muscle power led to record seizures of Rs 130 crore, including Rs 110 crore in drugs alone, since the announcement of polls. These are the highest poll-time seizures ever in J&K.
As EC described the “seamless, smooth and peaceful” J&K polls as “a new chapter”, chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar told TOI: “As announced by me in J&K on Aug 16, EC has delivered these elections with no violence or repolls, and the world has witnessed the defeat of nefarious intentions”.
With no poll boycott call given and separatists themselves entering the fray, many areas once known as terror hotbeds saw brisk polling. Turnout surged by almost 13 percentage points in Pulwama assembly constituency (AC) as compared to 2014 polls, 9.5 percentage points in Zainapora AC of Shopian and by 9.2 percentage points in Eidgah AC of Srinagar.
There was a 7% rise in the number of candidates in the fray from 815 to 873 now, with total women candidates up to 43 from 28, independents up by 26% and participating registered unrecognised political parties up by 71% since the 2014 assembly polls.
EC on Tuesday said its intensive efforts expanded the J&K electorate by 23% and female electors by around 28%. Young voters (18-19 years) were up at 4.4 lakh from 1.5 lakh in 2014. New, unique polling stations were set up in areas near the Line of Control and international border, such as Poonch, Rajouri, Samba, Jammu, Baramulla, Bandipora, Kathua and Kupwara. The high-altitude Phelgowari polling station in Kishtwar saw around 98% turnout. Gorrow in Inderwal constituency recorded 100% turnout and a total 21,395 Kashmiri migrants voted at special polling stations in Jammu, Udhampur and Delhi.
A total of 3,381 voters above 85 years of age and 2,734 persons with disabilities used the home voting facility. For the first time ever, nine seats reserved for STs voted.