The second phase of Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir was peaceful and saw 54.11 percent turn out by 7pm on Wednesday. The Election Commission of India data at 7pm local time revealed that in the second phase of elections in which 2.5 million people are eligible for voting to decide the fate of 239 candidates in 26 seats 54.11 percent voters cast their votes.
The elections in Jammu and Kashmir are taking place after almost ten years and abrogation of Article 370 of Indian Constitution in 2019 by the right wing government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the only Muslim majority state in the country. Three districts from Kashmir including Ganderbal, Srinagar, and Budgam and Reasi, Rajouri and Poonch from Jammu voted today. Big shots contesting in this phase include Vice President of National Conference and former chief minister Omar Abdullah Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina, State Congress Committee president Tariq Hamid Karra and Apni party president Altaf Bukhari. In an appeal to the p
eople of the troubled state, PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah urged voters to come in large numbers to strengthen democracy and to free Jammu and Kashmir from terrorism and corruption.
In the first phase of elections held on September 18, around 61 percent voters cast their votes. The third and final phase of elections are scheduled to take place on October 1, while the counting and result announcement would be on October 8.
Source: Kuwait News Agency
