CEC Rajiv Kumar Encourages High Turnout for Jammu and Kashmir's Third Phase of Voting

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar lauded Jammu and Kashmir's voters for their record turnout in the first two phases of Assembly elections. He urged even greater participation in the third phase. Notably, women's voter turnout exceeded men's in 17 constituencies. The third phase will see 415 candidates contending across 40 constituencies.

With the third phase of voting in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections around the corner, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar has called on voters to turn out in even greater numbers. Kumar praised the electorate for the notable voter turnouts during the first two phases, which saw 61.38% and 57.3% participation, respectively, compared to the 58.58% turnout in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

'I congratulate the people of Jammu and Kashmir for participating in this celebration of democracy. We have observed an increase across various metrics of engagement, including voter turnout, the number of candidates, and campaign activities. Importantly, no cases of boycotts or repolling have been reported in the last two phases,' stated Kumar. 'The voter turnout is historic, and we urge all societal sections to cast their votes in the third phase. It's noteworthy that in 17 assembly constituencies, women have outnumbered men in voting.' According to Kumar, over 7,200 permissions were issued via the Suvidha portal for campaign rallies and meetings.

The first phase of voting took place on September 18, followed by the second phase on September 25. The third phase is slated for Tuesday, covering 40 constituencies. Vote counting is scheduled for October 8, with results expected soon after, as per the Election Commission of India (ECI). More than 3.9 million voters across seven districts are eligible to participate, with voting hours set from 7 AM to 6 PM under rigorous security measures. A total of 415 candidates, including notable figures such as former deputy chief ministers Tara Chand of Congress and Muzaffar Hussain Beig, will contest in the third phase.

(With inputs from agencies.)