Long queues at a polling booth in Jammu
SRINAGAR: The third phase of voting in Jammu and Kashmir saw a cumulative voter turnout of 28.12 per cent as of 11 am on Tuesday, as per the Election Commission of India.
According to the latest data issued by ECI, Udhampur district recorded the highest voter turnout of 33.84 per cent as of 11 am, followed by Kathua at 31.78 per cent of voter turnout with Samba slightly behind at 31.50 per cent.
Meanwhile, Baramulla recorded the lowest voter turnout at 23.20 per cent. Besides these, Bandipore recorded voter turnout of 28.04 per cent, Jammu at 27.15 per cent, and Kupwara at 27.34 per cent. The polling for the third and final phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections began on Tuesday at 7 am across 40 constituencies in seven districts of the Union Territory.
The polls will conclude at 6 pm. Voting has been going on in 24 constituencies in the Jammu division and 16 constituencies in Kashmir amid strong security to ensure smooth and peaceful polls. Earlier today, Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi encouraged voters to participate actively and support the INDIA alliance, asserting that each vote is vital for building a strong future and empowering the people to stand up for their rights.
Taking to social media platform X, Rahul Gandhi said, "Today is the third and last phase of elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Remember, this election is about the self-respect of the state, it is about the rights of the people of the state." "All voters are requested to come out of their homes in large numbers and vote for INDIA. Your every vote for INDIA will secure the foundation of the future of Jammu and Kashmir and will give you the strength to fight for your rights," Gandhi said.
BJP leader and the former Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Kavinder Gupta, also said that the people in the region had shown their gratitude as well as their faith in democracy during the third phase of voting in the J&K assembly polls. At least 415 candidates are contesting in the third phase. The three-phase election involves a multi-party contest for the 90 seats across the former state.
The National Conference (NC) and the Congress have formed an alliance for these elections, while the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are among the other major contenders. The counting of the votes will be done on October 8.