As Jammu and Kashmir enters the final phase of its Assembly elections today, Union Home Minister Amit Shah underscored the need for a government capable of making decisive moves to ensure the region’s security, peace, and stability.
“Jammu and Kashmir requires a visionary government that can take strong decisions for the region’s security, peace, and stability,” Shah said in a post on X. He urged voters to elect a government that will rid the Union Territory of terrorism, separatism, nepotism, and corruption, while upholding the rights of all communities. “Vote for a historic transformation towards tourism, education, employment, and overall development in Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.
The polling for the third and final phase, which began at 7 AM today (Tuesday), involves 40 constituencies—24 in Jammu and the rest in the Kashmir Valley. Over 3.9 million voters across seven districts are eligible to vote, according to the Election Commission. Voting will continue until 6 PM, with tight security measures to ensure a peaceful process.
This phase sees 415 candidates, including former deputy chief ministers Tara Chand (Congress) and Muzaffar Hussain Beig, competing for seats. Campaigning for this final phase concluded on Sunday evening.
This election is particularly significant as the first in a decade and the first since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. The three-phase election features a multi-party contest for 90 seats in the former state.
The National Conference (NC) and Congress have formed an alliance, while the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are other key contenders.
The first and second phases of voting, held on September 18 and 25, saw voter turnouts of 61% and 57.31%, respectively, according to the Election Commission of India. Campaigning saw heated debates among major political parties, including the BJP, Congress, NC, and PDP, on critical issues such as Pakistan, Article 370, terrorism, and reservation. High-profile leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Rahul Gandhi, and former J-K chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, and Mehbooba Mufti, were actively involved.
The vote counting is scheduled for October 8.
