JAMMU: With completion of the fifth and final phase of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, the curtain has fallen on what has turned out to be a historic democratic exercise undertaken in restive state in the face of many odds, not just separatists’ boycott call or threat of violence from militants.
Interestingly, this election has beaten all records of past 25 hours in terms of voter turnout. Though the fourth phase of polling on December 14 witnessed a comparatively low turnout, an overall estimated percentage in the all five phases has been 66 percent which is the highest in two and a half decades, said the Election Commission (EC) Officials.
The State’s Chief Electoral Office, Umang Narula, told reporters here the 66 percent voter turnout in all the five phases of elections is five percent more than recorded in the last Assembly elections held in 2008.
In Delhi, Deputy Election Commissioner, Vinod Zutshi, termed the overall polling percentage in current J&K elections as “historic and unprecedented”. He said, “It has been the highest turn-out in the last 25 years.
This has been a historic turn-out in the current elections unprecedented and totally peaceful.” He also said that while the 2008 elections had witnessed 61.42 percent turnout, it was 43.09 percent in 2002.
He and also Mr. Narula said that on Saturday, about 76 percent voters exercised their franchise in the 5th phase of J&K Assembly elections held in twenty constituencies spread across three districts of Kathua, Jammu and Rajouri.
Giving the details, Mr. Narula said the highest turnout 83.20 percent was recorded in Bani segment and the lowest 60 percent in Gandhinagar in Jammu City itself.
He said Basholi recorded 78.50 percent, Kathua 80.47 percent, Billawar 77.60 percent, Hiranagar (SC), 80.17percenbt, Nagrota 81 percent, Jammu East 66.05 percent, Jammu West 65 percent, Bishnah 80.22 percent, Ranbir Singh Pura (SC) 77.79 percent, Suchetgarh 80 percent, Marh 82.45 percent, Raipur Domana (SC) 77.41 percent, Akhnoor 82.97 percent, Chhamb (SC) 82 percent, Nowshera 81.70 percent, Darhal 81percent, Rajouri 75 percent and Kalakote 74 percent.
There were as many as 213 candidates in the fray for these 20 constituencies having 18,28,904 electors including 9,59,011 male and 8,69,891 female voters, besides 2 third gender voters.
The counting of votes in all the 87 segments is scheduled to take place on Tuesday and a new government is expected to be formed by first week of January 2015.
