Jammu and Kashmir assembly election 2024 updates: 1.60 % voter turnout recorded till 9 am

Jammu and Kashmir is voting in the third and final phase of polling today, with over 39 lakh voters exercising their franchise across 40 assembly seats – 24 in Jammu region and 16 in Kashmir. The final phase of polling, which began at 7 am and conclude by 7 pm in the Valley, will determine the future of 415 candidates.

The Election Commission of India has set up 5,060 polling stations across Jammu and Kashmir, and security has been beefed up to maintain law and order during the voting period.

While the National Conference and the Congress are fighting the elections in an alliance, the People’s Democratic Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are the two other major players.

One of the key highlights and probable deciding factors in the polls is the participation of Pakistani refugees, Valmiki Samaj and the Gorkha community, who got voting rights in the union territory after the abrogation of Article 370.

Prominent candidates

Some of the prominent candidates in the third phase of polling include – People’s Conference chairman and former minister Sajjad Lone and National Panthers Party India president Dev Singh, Jammu and Kashmir ministers Raman Bhalla (R S Pura), Usman Majid (Bandipora), Nazir Ahmad Khan (Gurez), Taj Mohiuddin (Uri), Basharat Bukhari (Wagoora-Kreeri), Imran Ansari (Pattan), Ghulam Hassan Mir (Gulmarg), and Choudhary Lal Singh (Basohli).

The exit polls for the Jammu and Kashmir elections will take place on October 5. The results will be declared on October 8.