The second phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections is over. Wednesday’s polling process went smoothly with no cases of violence or skirmishes reported.
Voting took place across 26 assembly constituency seats including Srinagar. The prominent candidates whose fates were sealed in this round of polling include National Conference’s Omar Abdullah, BJP’s Ravinder Raina and Congress’ Tariq Hamid Karra.
The third and final phase of voting in Jammu and Kashmir will take place on October 1 and votes will be counted on October 8.
Voter turnout
J&K logged an approximate voter turnout of 54 per cent in the second phase of elections. The districts of Rease and Poonch recorded the highest voter turnout at 71.81 per cent and 71.59 per cent respectively.
Meanwhile, Srinagar recorded the lowest turnout trend at 27.31 per cent.
The second phase saw a comparatively lower voter turnout than the previous phase which logged 61.38 per cent.
Foreign diplomats observe polling
The polling process was observed by
foreign diplomats who hailed it for being “very democratic and healthy.”
The Ministry of External Affairs invited a delegation of diplomats from 16 countries including the US, Norway and Singapore to observe the assembly elections in the region which are taking place after 10 years.
The delegation comprised diplomats from Delhi-based missions of the US, Mexico, Guyana, South Korea, Somalia, Panama, Singapore, Nigeria, Spain, South Africa, Norway, Tanzania, Rwanda, Algeria and the Philippines.
‘History in making’
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on Wednesday described the ongoing Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir as “history in the making”, saying people are standing in long queues outside polling booths at places where calls were once given to boycott the democratic exercise.
Taking to reporters here as the second phase of polling was underway on 26 seats in the Union Territory, Kumar said 100 per cent CCTV coverage is available for this phase and one could see youngsters, women and senior citizens patiently standing in queues, awaiting their turn to exercise their franchise.
“It is a festival of democracy. Voting is taking place in areas where it did not take place earlier…. There were calls for disruption and boycott in the past…. It is a standing ovation for democracy,” the CEC said in the presence of fellow election commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu.
Kumar said history is in the making in Jammu and Kashmir and its impact will be felt for a long time as he lauded the enthusiastic participation of the voters in the poll process.
With inputs from PTI
Link to article –
