Srinagar, Oct 01, 2024, IANS

Srinagar/Jammu, Oct 1 (IANS) In the first four hours of polling on Tuesday, an overall voter turnout of 28.04 per cent was recorded in the 40 Assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir. The overall voter turnout was recorded till 11 a.m., said the officials of the Election Commission of India (ECI). “Bandipora district recorded 23.20 per cent, Baramulla, 27.15 per cent, Jammu, 31.78 per cent, Kathua, 27.34 per cent, Kupwara, 31.50 per cent in Samba and 33.84 per cent in Udhampur district. In the first and second phases of J&K Assembly polls, nearly 62 per cent and 58 per cent voter turnout was recorded respectively. Tuesday’s high voter turnout for the third phase in which women voters also came out early to exercise the franchise, indicates a higher turnout than seen in the first and second phases. Voting was peacefully underway in all the 5,060 polling stations in the 40 Assembly constituencies. Of these, 1842 polling stations managed by over 8,000 polling staff are in the three districts of Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora in Kashmir while 3,218 polling stations are in Jammu, Samba, Kathua and Udhampur districts of Jammu division. Voters were seen wearing woollens at most places in Baramulla and Kupwara districts in Kashmir while in Jammu, Kathua, Samba and Udhampur districts of Jammu division, voters wore summer attire. Queues were seen at the polling stations in Pattan, Sangrama, Kreeri, Tangmarg, Kunzar, Uri town and other places in the Valley while voters wearing traditional Dogri dresses came out in a festive mood in Kathua, samba, Udhampur, R.S. Pura and other polling stations in Jammu division. Enthusiasm was unmatched among the voters in areas close to the International Border in Samba, Kathua and Jammu districts. Voters exchanged greetings with the security forces guarding the polling stations as special arrangements were made for sick and infirm voters to exercise their democratic rights. In the third and final phase of J&K Assembly elections, 39.18 lakh voters will decide the political fate of 415 candidates. Jammu district has 11, Samba 3, Kathua 6 and Udhampur 4 Assembly constituencies while Baramulla and Kupwara districts have 16 constituencies. The Election Commission has set up 5030 polling stations for voters for the third phase. Special polling stations have been set up for Kashmiri migrant voters. Of these 11 are in Jammu, 4 in Delhi and one in Udhampur district.