To cast their votes, electors ranging from first-timers to geriatrics thronged polling booths in 40 Assembly constituencies across Jammu and Kashmir that went to vote on Tuesday in the third and final phase of the peaceful polls, with turnout estimated at 44.08 per cent as of 1 p.m.
Nearly 62 percent and 58 percent voter turnout was recorded in the first and second phases of the J&K Assembly polls, respectively.
The fact that the early turnout in the third phase saw women voters too thronging to cast their votes might mean that the overall figures for voting could be more than those witnessed in the first two phases.
Voting commenced at 7 a.m. at all the 5,060 polling stations under bright autumn sun as voters started trickling out to exercise their democratic right. Of these, 1,842 polling stations, manned by over 8,000 polling staff, were established in the Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora districts of the Kashmir Valley, while 3,218 polling stations were established in Jammu, Samba, Kathua and Udhampur districts of Jammu division. Voters were seen wearing woollens at most places in the Valley districts while in the Jammu division, voters still wore summer attire.
Special polling stations have also been established exclusively for the Kashmiri migrant voters - 11 in Jammu, four in Delhi, and one in Udhampur district.
Pattan, Sangrama, Kreeri, Tangmarg, Kunzar, Uri town and other places in the Valley - Men began building queues at these polling stations while voters doffed their traditional Dogri dresses to appear ecstatic in fun and revelry at polling stations in Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, R.S. Pura and other polling stations in Jammu division. There was nothing but enthusiasm among the voters from the area close to the international border in Samba, Kathua, and Jammu districts, which exchanged greetings with the security forces guarding the polling stations.
Special arrangements have been made for the old, infirm or the ailing voters.
The highest turnout so far has been recorded in the Bani Assembly seat of Kathua at 52.96 per cent. The lowest was recorded in Sopore in Baramulla at 27.76 per cent. In the Kashmir Valley, the highest turnout recorded so far was 52.45 per cent in the Gurez (ST) seat in Bandipora.
Among the voters were a 106-year-old wheelchair-bound woman in Ramgarh SC seat in Samba, 102-year-old Kesar Devi in Udhampur, a nonagenarian Kashmiri Pandit casting his vote in a special polling station for migrants in the Jagti migrant camp in Jammu, 97-year-old Sardar Gurcharan Singh in Ramgargh SC, 93-year-old Ashwani Kumar in Basohli seat in Kathua, 83-year-old Krishna Devi in Jammu, and first-time voters like teenagers Sanchita Kapoor in Basohli and Diya Hans in Samba.
Interestingly, nobody cast their votes at the Kanyari Ghat polling station of the Sonawari Assembly constituency in Bandipora. Huge voters' gathering is witnessed a few distance miles away from the polling station as they claim that no one has paid attention towards the civic amenities available in this area including safe drinking water, roads, electricity, and so many others. On this occasion, Deputy Commissioner, Bandipora was soliciting the voters to vote. The voters said they wanted complete assurance from the authorities to attend to their problems before they entered the polling station.
In the third and last phase, 39.18 lakh voters are eligible to decide political fate of 415 candidates in 11 constituencies in the Jammu district, three in Samba, six in Kathua and four in Udhampur whereas Baramulla has seven seats, Kupwara has six and Bandipora has three.
Police officials said adequate security personnel drawn from the CRPF and J&K Police have been positioned to ensure smooth polling. Area domination around polling stations, securing passage to and fro of poll staff and the general public on the roads and highways was taken care of on Monday itself and deployments moved out with the first light of Tuesday to secure passage of sector officers, poll observers, candidates and other officials connected with the poll process.
Voting will close by 6 p.m., and counting will begin on October 8.
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