J&K polls: Nearly 40% migrant Kashmiri Pandits turn out to vote in Jammu

Jammu, Sep 26 (PTI) Nearly 40 per cent of migrant Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu cast their ballots in the second phase of polling for the Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, officials said.

The polling was held at 24 stations set up in Jammu, Delhi and Udhampur.

“Nearly 40 per cent polling was registered at 19 polling stations in Jammu, followed by 37 per cent in Udhampur and 43 per cent in Delhi in the second phase of the Assembly elections,” Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner Arvind Karwani told PTI.

According to official figures, a total of 6,250 voters, including 3,514 men and 2,736 women, cast their ballots.

The highest number of 2,796 votes were polled in the Habakadal constituency, which was once a bastion of Kashmiri Pandits, followed by 909 in Lal Chowk, and 417 in Zadibal.

In the first phase of the polls, 27 per cent voter turnout among the displaced Kashmiri Pandits was reported at 19 polling stations in Jammu while 31.39 per cent was reported at one polling station in Udhampur.

While 9,218 Kashmiri Pandits out of 34,000 exercised their franchise for the South Kashmir seats in Jammu in the first phase of the elections on September 18, 6,250 voters out of over 15,500 voted for the Central Kashmir seat in the second phase on Wednesday.

The voting began at 7 am across 26 assembly constituencies, including 15 segments in Kashmir, under tight security.

The second phase of the assembly elections covered six districts — three each in the Valley and the Jammu division.

In this phase, 93 candidates were contesting in Srinagar district, followed by 46 in Budgam, 34 in Rajouri, 25 in Poonch, 21 in Ganderbal, and 20 in Reasi.

More than 25.69 lakh voters will decide the fate of 239 candidates, including leaders such as former chief minister Omar Abdullah, J&K Congress President and former minister Tariq Hamid Qarra,  BJP J&K chief Ravinder Raina, and Apni Party chief Syed Altaf Bukhari. There were four Kashmiri Pandit candidates in the fray.