Srinagar/Jammu: The first assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir in a decade were held peacefully. voter turnout Nearly 69% voting took place in the third and final phase in seven districts amid tight security on Tuesday. Long queues were seen outside polling stations, with 415 candidates competing in 40 constituencies – 24 in Jammu region and 16 in North Kashmir.
The final voting percentage may increase if data from 5,060 polling stations and postal ballots are included. Chhamb constituency in Jammu topped with 77% voting, while Gurez in Kashmir recorded 76% voting. Sopore and Baramulla, known for election boycott in the past, also recorded the highest turnout in three decades.
In the last two phases, voting was 61% in 24 constituencies on September 18 and 57% in 26 seats on September 25. Counting of votes will take place on October 8.
“The visuals of voters patiently waiting in queue at polling stations against the scenic backdrop of the region highlight people’s strong faith in democracy,” the Election Commission said in an official statement.
Among the excited voters was Jammu and Kashmir Police’s DSP Sukhbir Singh, who was injured in an encounter with terrorists in Kathua district on September 29. He and his wife voted at a polling booth in Udhampur.
This election was a historic first for West Pakistani refugees, Valmiki SamajAnd Gorkha community Members who were able to vote after acquiring citizenship rights following revocation of citizenship Article 370 In 2019. These communities, comprising approximately 1.5 lakh people, live mainly in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts.
Valmikis brought from Himachal Pradesh and Punjab for sanitation work in 1957 were denied voting rights and other opportunities in Jammu and Kashmir due to lack of domicile certificates.
Valmiki Gharu Bhati, 45, who voted for the first time in Jammu, described the moment as a “festival” for his community, which is celebrating its new rights after 75 years. “Two generations of our people have been living without these rights, but justice prevailed with the abrogation of Article 370,” he said. “We were once a black spot on the justice and constitutional structure of Jammu and Kashmir. Today, as part of the world’s largest democracy, the Valmiki Samaj, West Pakistani refugees and Gorkha communities have finally achieved their constitutional rights.”
Gorkhas, who were called to Jammu and Kashmir to maintain law and order but were denied voting rights, also celebrated their first vote. “The feeling of voting is unmatched,” said Swarn Singh, a first-time voter. His community took out a lively procession to the polling station accompanied by bands and traditional drums to mark the occasion.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who represents Udhampur in the Lok Sabha, accused the Congress and the National Conference (NC) of misusing Article 370 to deny rights to these communities. He said, “If you go abroad, you are getting the rights of citizenship after 10 years, but these communities were deprived of their rights since they settled in Jammu and Kashmir after partition.” He also pointed out that the NC and Congress had used Article 370 to continue the six-year term for the Assembly, even after the rest of the country reverted to five-year term.
Another notable development in this election was the participation of people associated with the separatist movement. Hafiz Mohammad Sikander, an independent candidate and former member of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami, noted the challenges of campaigning wearing a GPS tracker due to legal restrictions, as locals were afraid of the device.
He voted in Bandipora after staying away from the elections for several years in protest against the alleged rigging of 1987. “Now, we consider participation in elections as a very important process because we want to serve the people in a democratic manner,” Sikandar said.
Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid rejected speculations of a possible alliance with BJP. “I was an MLA twice and could have joined any party then, but did not. Why should I support BJP now?” He said people fed up with state repression “since the PDP came to power in 2014” were responsible for the increase in voting percentage. His Awami Ittehad party has fielded 34 independent candidates.
Voter enthusiasm was particularly high in villages near the Pakistan border. The EC had set up 29 polling stations near the LOC and the International Border.
Amit Kumar, a resident of Chak Mala village in Jammu’s Akhnore sector, voted for peace and development along with his nearly 100-year-old grandmother. “There is no fear of shelling these days,” he said. In nearby Khour, 53-year-old Amrik Singh voted for the first time in his village, just 10 km from the international border. His village often came under artillery fire. “But now we can freely move closer to the zero line and cultivate our fields near the fence,” he said.
This last phase was important for both the BJP and the opposition parties. In 2014, the BJP won 25 seats, all in the Jammu region. BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh expressed optimism about his party’s prospects. “I am glad to see the huge voter participation across the board. This is a slap on the face of NC, Congress and PDP, who used to win through boycott politics.” After October 8, BJP will form the government and our priority will be to provide employment to the youth.
