High Voter Turnout Marks Third Phase of Jammu and Kashmir Elections

The third phase of voting in Jammu and Kashmir recorded an 11.60 per cent voter turnout by 9 am. Udhampur district led with 14.23 per cent. Key political figures like PM Modi urged voters to participate. The election marks the first since Article 370's revocation.

The third phase of voting in Jammu and Kashmir saw a cumulative voter turnout of 11.60 per cent as of 9 am on Tuesday, according to the Election Commission of India. Udhampur district recorded the highest voter turnout of 14.23 per cent, followed by Samba at 13.31 per cent.

Other notable turnouts included Bandipore with 11.64 per cent, Baramulla at 8.89 per cent, Jammu at 11.46 per cent, Kathua at 13.09 per cent, and Kupwara at 11.27 per cent. Voting started at 7 am and will conclude at 6 pm, covering 24 constituencies in the Jammu division and 16 in Kashmir, amid strong security measures.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a post on X, encouraged women and first-time voters to exercise their franchise. He expressed confidence in high voter participation as 415 candidates, including former deputy Chief Ministers, compete in this crucial phase. This election is notable as the first since the revocation of Article 370 in August 2019.

BJP candidate Vikram Randhawa offered prayers ahead of the day, facing Congress' Taranjit Singh Tony and PDP's Varinder Singh. The election is a multi-party contest for the 90 seats, featuring alliances like NC and Congress against major contenders including BJP and PDP. Issues such as Pakistan and Article 370 dominated the campaign debates. Vote counting will occur on October 8.

(With inputs from agencies.)