Over 61 per cent polling was recorded in the first phase of elections for 24 assembly seats in seven districts of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, the Election Commission said.
The commission said that these are provisional figures and may increase after the final reports of postal ballots and remote areas are received. In the first phase, voting took place in 24 assembly constituencies of seven districts.
The Election Commission said Kishtwar district recorded the highest polling of 80.14 per cent, followed by Doda (71.34 per cent) and Ramban (70.55 per cent).
The commission said in south Kashmir, Kulgam district recorded the highest polling of 62.46 per cent, followed by Anantnag district at 57.84 per cent, Shopian district at 55.96 per cent and Pulwama district at 46.65 per cent.
This is the first assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. The last assembly election was held in 2014. The Election Commission said in a press release late night, “About 61.11 percent voting was recorded as of 11:30 pm in the first phase of elections for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. As the remaining polling parties keep returning, the officials will keep updating it. ”
Earlier, after the polling ended at 6 pm, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Electoral Officer P K Pole said around 59 per cent polling was recorded in the first phase of the assembly elections in the Union Territory, which is the “highest voter turnout in the last seven elections”. Pole told reporters that the election was conducted peacefully without any untoward incident.
