Second phase of J&K polls records turnout of 57.03% till 11:45 pm: ECI

NEW DELHI: The second phase of J&K assembly polls records turnout of 57.03 pc till 11:45 pm, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said in a press release.

The ECI said that Budgam recorded 62.98 percent voter turnout till 11.45 pm, Ganderbal recorded 62.51 percent voter turnout, Poonch recorded 73.80 percent voter turnout, Rajouri recorded 70.95 percent voter turnout, Reasi recorded 74.70 percent voter turnout and Srinagar recorded 29.81 voter turnout.

ECI said that the data displayed here is as per the information being filled in the systems by the field officer. This is an approximate trend, as data from some polling stations (PS) takes time and this trend does not include Postal Ballot.

The ECI said that the same shall continue to be updated by the field level officers as the remaining polling parties keep returning and updated figures will be available AC and district wise live at Voter Turnout App.

Final actual account of votes recorded for each PS is shared in Form 17 C with Polling agents at close of polls, ECI said.

The polling for the second phase started at 7 am on Wednesday and concluded at 6 pm.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was among the key candidates fighting from the two constituencies – Budgam and Ganderbal. The other contenders included Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Tariq Hamid Karra.

Polling was conducted across six districts of Budgam, Ganderbal, Poonch and Jammu regions of Rajouri, Reasi and Srinagar, with 25.78 lakh electors eligible to cast votes to decide fate of 239 candidates in the second phase. The first phase of assembly polls was held on September 18.

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.

Earlier in the day, interacting with media at Nirvachan Sadan, CEC Rajiv Kumar said that these elections are “history in the making”, the echoes of which will be carried through posterity.

He added that the 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 and Kashmir, CEC Kumar lauded the voters seen patiently waiting for their turn to vote at the Polling Stations and said that it is a resounding statement of their belief in democracy.

Some of the seats that went to the polls had in the past seen threats of poll boycott from separatist elements.

The poll panel said in a release that overall voter turnout recorded in these six districts that went for polls in Phase 2 has also surpassed the turnout recorded in Lok Sabha Elections 2024. (ANI)