• History in making: CEC Rajiv Kumar
• SMVD AC records highest turnout at 79.95%
• Srinagar records lowest turnout at 29.24%
• Turnout surpassed 52.17% from the LS polls
• ECI has setup 157 Special Polling Stations
• Last phase on Oct 1, vote counting on Oct 8
Srinagar, Sep25: More than 56.05% of voters participated in the second phase of polling for 26 seats in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections on Wednesday. The voting was held peacefully and no untoward incident was reported anywhere in the region, officials said.
Addressing a press conference here, J&K Chief Electoral Officer P K Pole said the second phase recorded a turnout of 56.05 per cent. The percentage was tentative as polling was going on at some places like Hazratbal and Reasi and polling was peaceful and by and large smooth.
“The voting turnout stands at 56.79 per cent till now, and the polling was peaceful overall. Some (foreign) delegates also visited some of the polling booths and expressed their satisfaction over the polling process. It was overall peaceful,” he said.
CEO Pole said that voting commenced from 7 am and continued till 6 pm. During the recent Lok Sabha polls the voter turnout recorded across six districts (second phase) was 52.17 % Today the voter turnout recorded across the same six districts stood at 56.05 %.
He said the highest percentage of voting has been in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, Katra assembly constituency, 79.95% and the polling is still underway at some polling stations. In the Reasi district, there are 3 assembly constituencies and it has the highest poll percentage 74.14. Poonch has the second-highest at 73.78%, Rajouri at 69.85%, Ganderbal at 62.63% and Budgam at 61.31% and 29.24% in Srinagar where polling is still underway at some stations.
“There has not been any incident that I may think that a repoll is required. There were 3502 polling stations and there was no such polling booth where the voting percentage was in single digits. In Srinagar, the polling percentage crossed that during the Lok Sabha election polls. Srinagar’s polling percentage during the Lok Sabha elections was 24.83%, we have crossed it by 5% this time,” CEO Pole added.
He said phase-1 of the Jammu-Kashmir Assembly elections had also witnessed an encouraging response by voters with a voter turnout of 61.38% at Polling Station across 24 ACs. In Phase-2, 26 Assembly Constituencies, spread across 6 districts saw polling across 3502 Polling Stations set up for voters in this phase. 239 Candidates were in the fray including 233 men and 6 women candidates in this phase of the elections,” he said.
He said CEC Rajiv Kumar along with ECs Gyanesh Kumar and Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu had maintained a constant supervision of the polling process to ensure that the polling took place in an incident free manner.
“These elections are “history in the making”, the echoes of which will be carried through posterity. Voting across 26 ACs which commenced at 7 AM today was held peacefully without any incidents of violence,” Pole said.
The six districts that went to polls in phase 2 were- Budgam, Ganderbal, Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi and Srinagar.
Young voters reflected the aspirations of peace, democracy and progress as first time voters proudly showcased their inked fingers after voting. A total of over 1.2 lakh electors are in the age of 18-19 for phase 2.
CEO Pole said that valleys and the mountains which had once witnessed fear and boycott, are now taking part in the democratic festivities or “Jashn-e-Jamhuriyat”. Strong security measures were in place creating a conducive environment for voters to cast their vote without fear or intimidation.
“Webcasting was in place in all polling stations to ensure transparency of the voting process. While demonstrating the visuals emerging live from the Polling Stations in Jammu & Kashmir. The voters were patiently waiting for their turn to vote at the Polling Stations and said that it is a resounding statement of their belief in democracy,” he said.
Ganderbal district registered a voter turnout of 62.42% by 6 PM. In individual constituencies, Kangan (ST) recorded a high turnout of 71.82%, while Ganderbal constituency stood at 56.60%.
Polling began early in the morning, and the administration had put in place elaborate security measures across all polling booths, with Ganderbal Police and other security forces ensuring smooth and safe polling.
Meanwhile in ECI’s communique, said accessibility is one of the key pillars of the voting experience that ECI is committed to. Rakesh Kumar, Bronze medalist at the recently concluded Paris Paralympics and ECI’s National PwD icon also showed up to fulfil his civic responsibility and cast his vote at Mata Vaishno Assembly Constituency earlier today. One polling station in each AC was manned by Persons with Disabilities. 26 Polling Stations were managed by women
“The Dal lake provided a scenic backdrop for the polling festivities. Voters reached their polling stations aboard the iconic Shikara to cast their vote. Voting took place in a tranquil atmosphere free of fear and intimidation,” it said.
The ECI further said that voters inhabiting the areas near the border were also empowered to exercise their franchise at 55 Border Polling Stations set up near the LoC in 89 Poonch Haveli and 90- Mendhar AC in Poonch district and 51 such polling stations in Rajouri district.
“These Border Polling Stations saw voting today in line with the Commission’s resolve to bring even the remotest corners of the country into the democratic fold. Kashmiri Migrant voters were also empowered to exercise their franchise through 24 Special Polling Stations setup in Jammu (19), Udhampur(1) and Delhi (4),” the ECI said.
It further said that the Commission had eased the process for Kashmiri migrant voters by abolishing the cumbersome Form-M and enabling self-certification. Home-voting facility, introduced for the first time in Assembly elections in J&K saw democracy being taken to the doorsteps of those who are bound by physical limitations.
“Many voters aged above 85 years and PwDs with 40% benchmark disability opted to vote from the comfort of their homes. The entire process was videographed to ensure transparency while preserving the secrecy of the ballot,” it said.
As part of ECI’s to make the voting experience pleasant and memorable, Assured Minimum Facilities (AMF’s) like drinking water, electricity, toilet, ramp, furniture, adequate shelter, helpdesk, wheel chair & volunteers amongst others were provided at all Polling Stations.
The Election Commission of India has established 157 special polling stations in the second phase of ongoing Assembly Election in Jammu and Kashmir. These special polling stations were theme-based, and in some areas, efforts are being made to go the extra mile to reach voters and maximize participation.
He said that these innovative polling stations, such as women-managed, youth-managed, Green Polling Stations, Model Polling Stations, Border and Unique Polling Stations, were designed to cater specifically to women, youth, Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), promote eco-friendly practices, ensure inclusive and accessible elections, and accommodate voters of different kinds in the region.
Meanwhile 25 lakh eligible voters sealed the fate of 239 candidates across 26 constituencies in six districts of the Union Territory on Sep 25.
In this phase, 25,78,099 lakh voters were eligible to cast their ballot, comprising 13,12,730 lakh male voters, 12,65,316 lakh female voters and 53 third-gender voters. The last phase of polls will be held on October 1 and counting of votes will be held on October 8.
