Jammu and Kashmir Election: High Voter Turnout in Phase 2, Monitored by Foreign Diplomats

Voting is currently underway across 26 constituencies in six districts of Jammu and Kashmir in the second phase of the Assembly elections. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has fielded the highest number of candidates with 26, followed by the National Conference (NC) with 20, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with 17, and the Congress with 6. Additionally, there are 170 other independent and small-party candidates contesting.

Former Chief Minister and NC leader Omar Abdullah is one of the most prominent candidates in this phase, contesting from Budgam and Ganderbal constituencies. A total of 238 other candidates are in the fray.

- Advertisement -

Foreign representatives from the US, the European Union, South Korea, Spain, Somalia, Panama, Nigeria, South Africa, Norway, Rwanda, the Philippines, Mexico, Singapore, and Tanzania have arrived in the valley to monitor the voting process at some polling stations in Srinagar and Budgam.

Surankote recorded the highest voter turnout at 14.57%, while Habbakadal registered the lowest at 2.63%. According to the Election Commission, 10.22% voter turnout was recorded in the first two hours of polling. This phase comes a week after the first phase, which saw a record voter turnout of 60.21%, the highest in the last seven elections.

- Advertisement -

In this phase, over 15,500 displaced Kashmiri Pandit voters will be able to cast their votes at 24 special polling stations set up in Jammu, Udhampur, and Delhi. Of these, 14,700 voters are registered at 19 polling stations in Jammu, while over 600 Kashmiri migrant voters will cast their ballots in Delhi at four polling stations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to voters to cast their ballots, urging them to play their important role in strengthening democracy. Home Minister Amit Shah also asked voters to cast their votes “to free Jammu and Kashmir from terrorism, nepotism, and corruption” and to strengthen democracy in the region.

- Advertisement -

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged voters to support the INDIA opposition alliance, claiming that by stripping away J&K’s statehood, the BJP government has insulted its people and violated their constitutional rights.

A total of 25,98,099 voters are eligible to vote in this phase. The third and final phase of voting is scheduled for October 1, with vote counting on October 8.