look news india
New Delhi, May 27 (HS). Jammu and Kashmir has created history in the country's electoral politics by voting the highest in the last 35 years. The combined voter turnout (VTR) in the five Lok Sabha seats of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the General Elections 2024 was 58.46 percent. This significant participation is a proof of the strong democratic sentiment and civic participation of the people in the region.
The Election Commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, thanked the polling personnel and security officials for the conduct of peaceful elections in the Union Territory, the Election Commission said in a statement on Monday.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar while congratulating the voters of Jammu and Kashmir on behalf of the Election Commission said, “This achievement is based on the credible weaving of 25 percent increase in the number of candidates contesting elections since 2019, C-Vigil complaints showing increased citizen participation and Suvidha Portal showing 2455 requests for rallies etc. This reflects a steady shift away from hesitation and towards full participation in the election and campaign field. The juxtaposition of this outcome of electoral mobilization and participation is reminiscent of the fame and dexterity of the famous Kashmiri artisan weaving. This active participation is a big positive for the upcoming Assembly elections so that the democratic process continues in the Union Territory.”
According to the commission, 50.86 per cent polling in the three parliamentary constituencies in Kashmir valley reflects people's faith in the democratic process. The voting participation percentage witnessed a 30-point increase from the last general election in 2019, where it was 19.16 per cent. The three parliamentary constituencies of the valley namely Srinagar, Baramulla and Anantnag-Rajouri recorded 38.49 per cent, 59.1 per cent and 54.84 per cent VTR respectively, which is the highest in the last 3 decades. The other two constituencies of the Union Territory namely Udhampur and Jammu recorded 68.27 per cent and 72.22 per cent polling respectively.
The Commission said in the statement that the historic participation in the Union Territory was realized due to the efforts of the election and security officials who worked tirelessly to empower the people of Jammu and Kashmir, especially the youth, to participate in the elections. Most of the youth have expressed their faith and embraced democracy in a big way. Another interesting perspective is that of voters in the age group of 18-59 years, who form the major part of the voters in the Union Territory. The high voting percentage in the General Elections 2024 reflects their faith in democracy, which is a positive and encouraging development.
