Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections Phase 3: High Voter Turnout and Peaceful Polling
Phase 3 of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections recorded a 65.58% voter turnout as of 7 PM, surpassing the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the same districts. The voter turnout in phases 1 and 2 was also higher than the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The elections were conducted peacefully without any incidents of violence or re-polls, reaffirming the confidence expressed by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar. He had stated that the people of Jammu and Kashmir would respond positively to any attempts to disrupt the democratic process.
This is the first election in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370. Among the 40 constituencies, 24 are in the Jammu division and the rest in the Kashmir Valley. At least 415 candidates, including former deputy Chief Ministers Tara Chand of Congress and Muzaffar Hussain Beig, are contesting in the third phase.
High-profile leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and former J-K chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, and Mehbooba Mufti, held extensive campaigns. The West Pakistani refugee community voted for the first time in the assembly elections after gaining citizenship following the abrogation of Article 370.
The National Conference and the Congress have formed an alliance for these elections, while the People’s Democratic Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party are among the other major contenders. The counting of votes will take place on October 8.
Doubts Revealed
Jammu and Kashmir -: Jammu and Kashmir is a region in northern India. It used to be a state but is now a Union Territory.
Assembly Elections -: Assembly Elections are when people vote to choose their representatives in the state or Union Territory government.
Phase 3 -: Phase 3 means the third part or stage of the elections. Elections are sometimes held in multiple phases to manage the process better.
Voter Turnout -: Voter Turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who actually vote in the elections.
Lok Sabha -: Lok Sabha is the lower house of India’s Parliament, where members are elected to make national laws.
Chief Election Commissioner -: The Chief Election Commissioner is the head of the Election Commission of India, which oversees elections in the country.
Rajiv Kumar -: Rajiv Kumar is the current Chief Election Commissioner of India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi -: Narendra Modi is the current Prime Minister of India, the head of the government.
Rahul Gandhi -: Rahul Gandhi is a prominent Indian politician and a member of the Indian National Congress party.
Abrogation of Article 370 -: Abrogation of Article 370 means the removal of special status given to Jammu and Kashmir, making it like any other part of India.
Candidates -: Candidates are people who are running for election to be chosen as representatives.
Constituencies -: Constituencies are specific areas that elect a representative to the Assembly or Parliament.
Vote Counting -: Vote Counting is the process of counting all the votes to see who won the election.