Srinagar, Oct 02: Over 69 percent voter turnout has been recorded in the third phase of the assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir, the Election Commission of India said on Wednesday.
In a statement, ECI said the approximate voter turnout of 69.65% has been recorded in 40 constituencies in the third phase.
“The same shall continue to be updated by the field level officers as the remaining polling parties keep returning and updated figures will be available AC and district-wise live at Voter Turnout App,” the statement said.
According to figures, Bandipora recorded 67.68 percent turnout, Baramulla recorded 61.03 percent, Jammu 71.40 percent, Kathua 73.34 percent, Kupwara 66.79 percent, Samba 75.88 and Udhampur recorded 76.09 percent turnout.
The poll body said that this is an approximate trend, as data from some polling stations takes time and this trend does not include postal ballots. “Final actual account of votes recorded for each PS is shared in Form 17 C with Polling agents at close of polls,” it said.
To facilitate voter participation, the Election Commission has set up 5,060 polling stations and ensured 100 percent webcasting in all constituencies. Of the total, 974 are urban polling stations and 4,086 are rural. Special initiatives to boost participation include 240 special polling stations, 50 pink polling stations managed by women, and 43 polling stations operated by persons with disabilities.
Additionally, 45 green polling stations promote environmental awareness, 29 polling stations are located near the Line of Control and International Border for border residents, and 33 unique polling stations. For migrant voters of the Kashmir division, 24 special polling stations – 19 in Jammu, four in Delhi, and one in Udhampur district – have been set up.
The 40 assembly constituencies in the last phase of voting include 16 in three districts of the Kashmir Valley (Kupwara, Baramulla, and Bandipora) and 24 in the four districts of Jammu division (Jammu, Udhampur, Kathua, and Samba).
The Election Commission of India’s theme, ‘No Voter to be Left Behind’ and slogans like ‘Your Vote Your Right’ became the much talked topics about election mantra and resonated on different information dissemination platforms. Apart from their initiatives, the Icons regularly appeared on radio shows and public events to garner support for the SVEEP campaign.
In Jammu and Kashmir, around 62 icons at the district level and 18 at the UT level had been designated for mass awareness of the general public. The icons had been designated for all categories like General Icon, Icons for Women, Icons for PwD, and Transgender. The icons played a great role in voter education and increasing voter turnout in Jammu and Kashmir by promoting their audio/video messages on social media.
Some of the famous icons were Subedar Chain Singh, gold medalist in the 7th Asian Air Gun Championship Kuwait and 2016 South Asian Games, Sherlin Seth, Miss India 2017, Sadia Tariq, 3rd Open India Taekwondo champion, Javed Ahmad Tak, Padmashree awardee, social activist, Parveez Rasool, and Umran Malik, International Cricketer, Faisal Ali Dar, an Indian martial arts coach, Chandeep Sudan, Indian Athlete, 2nd Time’s World Para Taekwondo champion, Kabul Bukhari, renowned singer and musician, Ankush Sabharwal, Tech Entrepreneur and AI (Artificial Intelligence ) expert.
The introduction of icons in SVEEP campaigns had a significant impact on voters in various ways. The use of popular public figures like actors, sportspersons, or social activists as icons resonated with the local people. When voters see someone they admire or identify with urging them to vote, it inspires them to participate in elections. Social Icons, being from the local region, make the message more relatable and culturally relevant to the voters, helping bridge the gap between the Election Commission’s outreach and the local population, he added.
