Polling for the third and final phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election starts today (Tuesday) at 7 AM, with voters in 40 constituencies heading to the polls. Of these, 24 constituencies are in the Jammu division, while the remaining are in the Kashmir Valley.
The Election Commission has confirmed that over 3.9 million voters across seven districts are eligible to cast their ballots in this phase. Voting will continue until 6 PM under tight security to ensure a peaceful process. A total of 415 candidates, including prominent figures like former deputy chief ministers Tara Chand (Congress) and Muzaffar Hussain Beig, are competing in this round.
Ahead of the election, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Vikram Randhawa, contesting from the Bahu constituency, offered prayers at the Bawe Wali Mata Mahakali Mandir. Randhawa’s main rivals include Congress’ Taranjit Singh Tony and PDP’s Varinder Singh. “I prayed for Mata Rani to strengthen nationalist forces. These elections will steer Jammu and Kashmir in a new direction,” Randhawa told ANI.
The campaign for this crucial final phase wrapped up on Sunday evening. Notably, this is the first Assembly election in J&K since the revocation of Article 370 in August 2019 and the first in a decade. The 90-seat election has seen a multi-party contest, with the National Conference (NC) and Congress forming an alliance, while the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and BJP are also vying for control.
The first two phases, held on September 18 and 25, recorded voter turnouts of 61% and 57.31%, respectively, according to the Election Commission of India. Campaigning has been heated, with major parties including the BJP, Congress, NC, and PDP focusing on key issues such as Article 370, terrorism, Pakistan, and reservation policies.
High-profile leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and former J&K chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, and Mehbooba Mufti have been actively campaigning.
The votes will be counted on October 8.