Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections-2024: 37% cast vote till 1 pm: Srinagar records lowest 17.95% turnout

In the second phase of Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections-2024, voting has started at 7 am on 26 assembly seats in 6 districts. In this, 25.78 lakh voters will be able to cast their votes till 6 pm.

36.93 percent voting has taken place till 1 pm. Poonch has the highest 49.94% voting, while Srinagar has the lowest 17.95% votes.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said - Wherever there was a boycott of voting, today record voting is taking place there.

Out of the 26 seats of the second phase, 15 seats are from Central Kashmir and 11 seats are from Jammu. According to the Election Commission, 239 candidates are in the fray in the second phase. Among them, 233 are men and 6 are women.

Former Chief Minister and National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah is contesting from Ganderbal and Beerwah.  Voting was held for 24 assembly seats in 7 districts in the first phase on September 18.

Foreign diplomats observe J-K polls

Meanwhile, a delegation of diplomats from 16 countries, including the United States, Norway and Singapore, on Wednesday observed the ongoing assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

The delegation visited polling stations in Ompora area of Budgam district, followed by stops at Amira Kadal and SP College, Chinar Bagh, within the Lal Chowk constituency, officials said.

At the SP College, the delegates had the chance to visit a special pink polling station, managed entirely by women.

Several of these polling stations had witnessed very low voter turnout during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Deputy Commissioner, Budgam, Akshay Labroo, who is also the District Election Officer, briefed the observers on the voting process during their visit to the polling station in Ompora.