Jammu and Kashmir assembly election: 20 of 26 assembly segments see lower turnout than 2014

Budgam and Chrar-e-Sharief assembly segments recorded the largest declines in voter turnout, each dropping by 15% to 66.32% and 82.44% respectively.

Updated on: Sep 25, 2024, 22:52:19 IST

By HT News Desk

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In the second phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls on Wednesday, 20 out of the 26 assembly segments saw a decline in voter turnout compared to the 2014 elections.

Voters wait in queues to cast their votes for the second phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections in Budgam on Wednesday. (Election Commission of India-X)

The overall voting in the 2014 assembly polls for the six districts that voted on Wednesday exceeded 60 per cent, according to data from the Election Commission of India.

Chief electoral officer of Jammu and Kashmir, PK Pole said that approximately 56.05 percent voter turnout was recorded in the six districts during Wednesday's polling.

In the 2014 elections, there were 25 assembly segments in the districts of Srinagar, Ganderbal, Budgam, Reasi, Rajouri, and Poonch. However, after the delimitation exercise in 2022, the number of segments in these six districts has increased to 26.

While five assembly segments in the Srinagar district witnessed higher voter turnout compared to the 2014 polls, all other segments across the remaining five districts saw a decrease in turnout.

In central Kashmir, the Budgam (66.32 percent) and Chrar-e-Sharief (82.44 percent) assembly segments experienced the largest decline in voter turnout, with both segments dropping by 15 percentage points. Budhal, which had a turnout of 82.50 per cent in 2014, followed closely with a 14 percentage point fall.

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The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi segment in Reasi district achieved the highest turnout this year at 79.95 per cent, though it remains below the 82.68 per cent recorded in 2014 when it was known as Gool Arnas.

In contrast, the Habbakadal assembly segment, which has a significant migrant voter population, reported the lowest turnout at 18.39 per cent, a decline from 21.31 per cent a decade ago.

Notably, none of the assembly segments that experienced an increase in turnout surpassed the 38 per cent mark, while all constituencies with a decrease still managed to exceed 50 per cent.

According to Pole, the segment-wise turnout in Jammu division seats was Gulabgarh (73.49), Surankote (75.11), Reasi (71.00), Nowshera (72.00), Kalakote-Sunderbani (68.71), Poonch-Haveli (74.92), Rajouri (70.64), Budhal (68.58), Thannamandi (69.66) and Mendhar (71.08).

In the Kashmir valley seats, the turnout was Khansahib (71.66), Kangan (71.89), Chrar-e-Sharief (67.44), Chadoora (55.25), Ganderbal (56.97), Beerwah (63.31), Budgam (51.13), Hazratbal (30.69), Khanyar (26.07), Habbakadal (18.39), Lal Chowk (32.11), Channapora (29.35), Zadibal (30.73), Central Shalteng (31.07) and Eidgah (36.93).

With PTI inputs

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