Srinagar: The polling in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections in the Jammu constituency ended with an overall voter turnout of nearly 72 percent.
Across various Assembly segments of the Parliamentary constituency, voters, especially youth and first time voters, were seen standing in queues much ahead of the scheduled time for polling.
The Election Commission had put in place all necessary arrangements to ensure a fair and transparent electoral process.
As per the final official data, the constituency witnessed an overall polling percentage of 71.92, news agency KNO reported.
According to the news agency, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Assembly segment of district Reasi topped the list with over 79.91 percent polling whereas Bahu Assembly segment of Jammu district recorded the lowest turnout at 62.34 percent.
Officials said Akhnoor (SC) recorded 74.03 percent turnout, Bahu 62.34 percent, Bishnah (SC) 71.33 percent, Chhamb 71.06 percent, Gulabgarh (ST) 71.47 percent, Jammu East 66.11 percent, Jammu North 67.29 percent, Jammu West 62.82 percent, Kalakote Sunderbani 66.40 percent, Marh (SC) 73.00 percent, Nagrota 71.39 percent, RS Pura Jammu South 68.11 percent, Ramgarh (SC) 69.76 percent, Reasi 71.65 percent, Samba 69.23 percent, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi 79.91 percent, Suchetgarh (SC) 63.49 percent and Vijaypur 75.67 percent on the culmination of the voting process.
Voting began at 7 am in the 2,416 polling stations in the constituency, and there were more than 17.80 lakh eligible voters.
Electors cast their votes to decide the fate of 22 candidates, including sitting MP Jugal Kishore Sharma, who is eyeing a third term after winning the seat for the BJP in 2014 and 2019. The INDIA bloc has fielded Jammu and Kashmir Congress working president Raman Bhalla.
The Lok Sabha poll is the first major electoral battle in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh — on August 5, 2019.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh cast his vote in the Trikutanagar area of Jammu and said that there is massive excitement among people. “This is the base of successful democracy and that is why it is called a festival… All the phases will turn out to be great for the BJP,” he told reporters here.
Sitting MP Sharma, who along with his family members voted at a polling booth set up at the Kishenpur government high school in Nagrota, said people should come out of their homes and contribute to a strong democracy by exercising their right to vote.
Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina, who undertook visits to various polling booths in Samba and Jammu districts, thanked people for coming out in large numbers to vote.
“People are coming out of their houses since morning and voting. Their enthusiasm is high. More voters should come out of their houses to exercise their right,” he said.
Congress’ Bhalla, who visited several polling booths, expressed happiness over the smooth polling going in the constituency.
In a polling station in Reasi district, 102-year-old Haji Karamdin exercised his right to franchise and said “I am very happy to vote at this polling station at this age.”
More than 15,000 polling staff had been deployed while security arrangements were foolproof to ensure free-and-fair polls, the officials said.
Of the 2,416 polling stations 158 are along the International Border and the Line of Control (LoC).
“Security and other related arrangements are in place to ensure free, fair and peaceful voting. A contingency plan has also been worked out to ensure no disruption in polling along the borders,” Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pandurang K Pole said.
Jammu is the second Lok Sabha seat in Jammu and Kashmir to go to polls. Earlier, polling was held in the Udhampur seat on April 19, recording a voter turnout of more than 68 percent.
Jammu had recorded a voter turnout of 74 percent in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
