“Voter turnout less than my expectations in Central Kashmir”: JKNC chief Farooq Abdullah

Poonch (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 19 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) Chief Farooq Abdullah expressed concern over the low voting percentage in Central Kashmir, saying that he expected around 70 per cent polling percentage in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking to ANI on Saturday, the JKNC chief said, “I expected the percentage to be 70 per cent. I don’t know the reason why it was so low. People are so eager to express themselves and send their representatives to the Parliament.”

“Our children are taking drugs. An entire generation is in danger. The percentage is less than my expectations. It should have been 70 per cent,” Abdullah further said.

Jammu and Kashmir recorded low voter turnouts at 38.49 in the recently concluded fourth phase of Lok Sabha polls.

The fourth phase of polling for Lok Sabha polls on May 13 in 96 constituencies saw a voter turnout of 69.16 per cent, the Election Commission said on Friday.

It said 69.58 per cent of male voters, 68.73 per cent of female voters, and 34.23 per cent of third-gender individuals exercised their franchise.

Andhra Pradesh recorded the highest voter turnout, with a total voter turnout of 80.66 per cent. West Bengal recorded the second-highest voter turnout at 80.22 per cent.

Apart from Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar also recorded relatively low voter turnouts at 58.22, and 58.21 per cent, respectively.

Voting was held in 96 Lok Sabha seats in the fourth phase, out of which 25 were from Andhra Pradesh, 17 from Telangana, 13 from Uttar Pradesh, 11 from Maharashtra, eight each from Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, five from Bihar, four each from Jharkhand and Odisha, and one from Jammu and Kashmir.

The voting in Baramulla is set for May 20 while the Anantnag-Rajouri seat will vote on May 25.

In the electoral battleground of Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir, the upcoming Lok Sabha elections for Phase 5 present a compelling tripartite contest. Omar Abdullah, representing the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), faces off against Fayaz Ahmad Mir of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Sajjad Gani Lone from the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference (JKPC), allied with the NDA.

Notably, the BJP is not contesting from any of Jammu and Kashmir’s three Lok Sabha seats–Srinagar, Baramulla, and Anantnag.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the BJP had six candidates in the fray in Jammu and Kashmir but failed to win a single seat in Kashmir.

Voting for the Udhampur and Jammu seats concluded on April 19 and 26 respectively while in Srinagar, voting was concluded on May 13.

The counting of votes will be held on June 4.