The counting of votes is underway in Jammu and Kashmir to elect a new government, marking the first election since the region’s reorganization into a Union Territory in 2019. Vote counting began early on October 8, starting with postal ballots from security personnel before proceeding to electronic voting machine (EVM) tallies. The final results are expected by 6 PM, and early trends show the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leading in 12 seats, while the Congress-National Conference alliance is ahead in nine seats.
This election, held in three phases, saw voters turn out across the region. The first phase took place on September 18 with 24 constituencies, followed by the second phase on September 25 covering 26 seats, and the final phase on October 1 with the remaining 40 constituencies. The process was peaceful, with no major incidents of violence reported, and voter turnout stood at 63.45%, slightly lower than the 2014 elections.
The BJP focused heavily on the Jammu region, fielding 43 of its 62 candidates there, while 19 ran in Kashmir. Meanwhile, the Congress and National Conference entered into a seat-sharing arrangement, with Congress contesting 33 seats and National Conference fielding candidates in 52. As the vote count continues, security is tight, and the region is anticipating its first elected government in over six years.
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