J&K assembly poll final phase ends with a record turnout of 76 per cent

The fifth and last phase of the state assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir ended on Saturday with a turnout of 76 per cent.

“The highest turnout was recorded as 83.20 per cent in Bani and lowest as 60 per cent in Gandhinagar,” the Chief Electoral Officer Umang Narula said at a news conference in winter capital.

With Saturday’s polls for 20 assembly seats spread in the three districts of Jammu, Rajouri and Kathua, the five phase poll process in the state has been completed.

Counting of votes will be taken up on Tuesday at various counting centres across the state and the results are expected by afternoon.

Pollsters predict a hung house in the state with no major political parties including the Peoples Democratic Party, the Bharatiya Janta Party, the National Conference and the Congress able to get a simple majority in the 87 member state assembly.

The polling, which began at 8 am, saw brisk voting in all the 20 constituencies for which as many as 2,391 polling stations were set up, which included 278 hypersensitive ones and comprised 18,28,904 electors including 9,59,011 male and 8,69,891 female voters.

Since early this morning voters began to queue up outside the polling booths to cast their votes.

A large number of women and first time voters also lined up to exercise their franchise in the three districts.

Saturday’s polling, held under tight security would decide the fate 213 candidates including state Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, ministers Sham Lal and Raman Balla.

The state director general of police K Rajendra had directed the officers to ensure high alertness, especially in the border areas to check any infiltration attempt.

Rajendra, who reviewed the security arrangements with top police officers, said, “In view of the recent developments on the other side of border, we have to remain vigilant as the subversive elements could try to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere in the state.”

He had asked to conduct naka checking to identify suspicious movement in these areas.

Image: People wait to cast their votes at a polling station for the fifth phase of J&K assembly elections at a village near Jammu on Saturday. PTI