India: Voter turnout in Jammu and Kashmir highest in 35 years: Election Commission
Chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar said the active participation of voters in Jammu and Kashmir is a huge positive for Assembly elections to be held soon in the Union Territory.
The five-year old Union territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir saw the highest voter turnout in the last 35 years at 58.46%, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said in a statement on Sunday.
Of the 8,726,281 eligible voters in the UT, 5,111,550 voted. In the press statement, chief election commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar and election commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu thanked the polling personnel and security officials for the peaceful conduct of elections in the UT. The Union territory of Ladakh saw a voter turnout of 71.82%.
“This achievement sits on a credible weave of 25% increase in number of contesting candidates since 2019, C-vigil complaints showing enhanced citizen involvement and Suvidha Portal showing 2,455 requests for rallies etc., reflecting the steady retaking of the election & campaign space away from hesitation and to fuller participation. Compared this outcome of the layered depth of electoral mobilization and participation, as reminiscent of the fame and deft of the legendary Kashmiri artisanal weave. This active participation is a huge positive for Assembly elections to be held soon so that the democratic process continues to thrive in the Union Territory,” Kumar was quoted in the ECI’s press statement.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/voter-turnout-in-jammu-and-kashmir-highest-in-35-years-election-commission-101716814177538.html