Energetic votersmen and women, young and old, voting for the first time and one centenarian who has voted in all elections since India's first Lok Sabha polls-turned out in strength in polling booths across 24 constituencies covering both the Jammu region and the Kashmir Valley as an estimated 59 per cent voting was recorded in the peaceful and incident-free first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections on Wednesday.
J&K's CEO P.K. Pole also told reporters that people have largely voted in the first phase of Assembly elections.
"People are frustrated and desperately seeking change. Most people have been voting, and by the end of the day, the polling concluded peacefully without incident. Our figures at the moment indicate that 59 per cent of voters turned out in the first phase of this election. This figure is going to inch up fractionally since migrant votes and postal votes have yet not been received.". These will be added to the overall percentage that will rise. Besides, the voting figures will be known exactly when the polling staff reach collection centres, he said.
"ECI has made efforts to make this election all-inclusive. Voters above 85 years of age and those with more than 50 per cent disability have been given the right to vote from home. We also improved facilities at the polling stations like separate queues for male and female voters, ramps for voters with disability, safe drinking water, toilets etc," the CEO said.
The first phase covered 24 Assembly constituencies in Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama, and Shopian districts in the Kashmir Valley and Ramban, Doda, and Kishtwar districts in the Jammu division.
Giving constituency-wise voting turnout figures, Pole said the Inderwal Assembly constituency in Kishtwar recorded the highest turnout at 80.06 per cent and Tral in Pulwama district recorded the lowest turnout at 40.58 per cent.
In the Kashmir Valley, the highest level turnout was seen in D.H. Pora in Kulgam with 68 per cent.
Other constituencies recorded 41.58% in Anantnag, 45.93% in Anantnag West, 68 in Banihal, 65.27% in Bhaderwah, 54.73% in Devsar, 70.21% in Doda, 74.14% in Doda West, 57.90% in Dooru, 75.04% in Kishtwar, 58% in Kokernag, 62.70% in Kulgam, 76.80% in Paddar-Nagseni, 44.78% in Pampore, 50.42% in Pulwama, 48.07% in Rajpora, 67.34% in Ramban, 52.94% in Shangus-Anantnag East, 54.72% in Shopian, 56.02% in Srigufwara-Bijbehara and 52.64% in Zainpora.
According to visual reports by the poll panel, voters thronged polling stations when they opened on a sunny day and kept streaming throughout the day as long queues-women with equal number of men-standing patiently in serpentine lines outside polling stations to exercise their franchise. Waiting in such long queues, along with a toddler and a boy, the family posed proudly after casting their ballot in Kishtwar. In another photograph, a mother was clicked voting in Kishtwar while carrying her swaddled child.
In Doda, Prem Nath, who claimed to be almost 100 years old (99 years and 6 months), cast his vote, which, he said he did every time; he first voted during the first Lok Sabha elections in 1951-52. Saying he could not speak much, he noted that casting votes was a responsibility in democracy and hence, he regularly came out. He also appealed to others to come out and exercise their franchise.
Both 95-year-old man and 82-year-old woman, Bhag Dai among others, came out to cast their votes in Doda.
Other old-aged and persons with disabilities went out to exercise their franchise and were helped by volunteers at the polling booths in their democratic duty.
Eligible electors have cropped up to 23.27 lakh to seal the fate of 229 candidates including those representing Congress, BJP, PDP and other recognised political parties. 90 Independents in fray too end.
This is the first Assembly election to be held in J&K after 10 years and in the wake of the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, and the state being downgraded into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
The main contest will be between the BJP and the National Conference-Congress alliance in Jammu division, while in the Valley, it will be a multi-cornered contest among NC-Congress alliance, PDP, and Independents.
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