Jammu and Kashmir records 61.38% voter turnout in phase one of elections, Election Commission of India says

Jammu and Kashmir recorded 61.38 per cent votes in phase one of polling, the Election Commission of India announced on Friday.

While the total male turnout stood at 63.75 per cent, total female turnout, data showed was at 58.96 per cent. Third gender turnout was recorded at 40 per cent, ECI data showed.

This is the first time assembly elections are being held in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, five years after article 370 was abrogated by the Narendra Modi-led Central Government on August 5, 2019.

Over 23 lakh voters were scheduled to cast their ballot in phase one of the Jammu and Kashmir polls, to decide the fate of 219 candidates, including 90 independents.

Phase one of the elections in the security-sensitive zone was concluded amidst tight check and scrutiny by Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPF), Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police and J&K Police.

The constituencies that went to polls in J&K on Wednesday included Pampore, Tral, Pulwama, Rajpora, Zainapora, Shopian, DH Pora, Kulgam, Devsar, Dooru, Kokernag (ST), Anantnag West, Anantnag, Srigufwara-Bijbehara, Shangus-Anantnag East, Pahalgam, Inderwal, Kishtwar, Padder-Nagseni, Bhadarwah, Doda, Doda West, Ramban and Banihal.

Key candidates in Jammu

In Jammu, trying their luck are former ministers Sajjad Kitchloo (NC), Khalid Najid Suharwardy (NC) Vikar Rasool Wani (Congress), Abdul Majid Wani (DPAP), Sunil Sharma (BJP), Shakti Raj Parihar (Doda west) and Ghulam Mohammad Saroori, a three-time MLA who is fighting as an independent after he was denied ticket by DPAP which he had joined after quitting Congress in support of Ghulam Nabi Azad two years ago.

Former MLA Daleep Singh Parihar (BJP), former MLC Firdous Tak and Imtiyaz Shan (PDP), NC's Pooja Thakur who is sitting chairperson of district development council Kishtwar, BJP's young face Shagun Parihar, whose father Ajit Parihar and uncle Anil Parihar were killed by terrorists in November 2018, and Mehraj din Malik of AAP are among other prominent faces in the fray.

Kashmir: Candidates who fought for their fate in Phase One

Prominent candidates in Kashmir include CPI (M)'s Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, AICC general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir, National Conference's Sakina Itoo, and PDP's Sartaj Madni and Abdul Rehman Veeri.

PDP's Iltija Mufti, running from Bijbehara, is in a triangular contest with NC's Bashir Ahmad Veeri and BJP's Sofi Mohammad Yousuf.

PDP's Sartaj Madni (Devsar) and Abdul Rehman Veeri (Shangus-Anantnag) are also tried their political luck in Phase one of elections.