Jammu and Kashmir assembly election 2024 live updates: Voting in third phase across 40 seats underway

Jammu and Kashmir assembly election 2024 live updates: Union minister Jitendra Singh thanked Prime Minister Modi and BJP leadership, referring to the return of democracy in Jammu and Kashmir after a long time, with voters participating in large numbers. He said that this is the first assembly election in 50 years with a 5-year term, unlike the previous 6-year terms, and credited the revocation of Article 370 for dismantling family-based politics.

Jammu and Kashmir assembly election 2024 live updates: Voting is underway in seven districts of the Valley: Kupwara, Baramulla, and Bandipora in the Kashmir Division; and Jammu, Udhampur, Kathua, and Samba in the Jammu Division.

Jammu and Kashmir assembly election 2024 live updates: The son of former Jamaat e Islamia general secretary Dr Kaleemullah, who is contesting from the Langate constituency as an independent candidate, cast his vote on Tuesday morning.

Jamaat-backed candidates are participating in the polls after 35 years.

Jammu and Kashmir assembly election 2024 live updates: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge appealed to the people of J&K to vote, saying that it is the “final chance to teach a lesson to those who snatched statehood” from them.

“As voting for the third phase of the Jammu and Kashmir elections commences, I urge the people in these 40 Assembly seats to exercise their Democratic rights in large numbers. Remember, that a single vote can change your destiny and usher in a brighter future, which secures your Constitutional rights. A single vote is valuable enough to ensure better employment opportunities for the young, take on the corrupt, safeguard your land rights and ensure progress and prosperity,” he wrote on X.

The Congress leader added, “We welcome the first time voters, for the future course for Jammu and Kashmir shall be decided by their participation. Once again, I request you to join the voting queue.”

Jammu and Kashmir assembly election 2024 live updates: Some of the key candidates include Choudhary Lal Singh (Congress, Basohli), Sham Lal Sharma, (BJP, Jammu North), Raman Bhalla, (Congress, RS Pura – Jammu South), former J&K BJP vice president Pawan Khajuria (independent, Udhampur East) and Jugal Kishore Sharma (former Congress minister contesting as independent, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi).

People's Conference chairman and former minister Sajjad Lone and National Panthers Party India president Dev Singh, Jammu and Kashmir ministers Raman Bhalla (R S Pura), Usman Majid (Bandipora), Nazir Ahmad Khan (Gurez), Taj Mohiuddin (Uri), Basharat Bukhari (Wagoora-Kreeri), Imran Ansari (Pattan), Ghulam Hassan Mir (Gulmarg), and Choudhary Lal Singh (Basohli) are also some other prominent candidates.

Jammu and Kashmir assembly election 2024 live updates: The first phase of voting in 24 seats on September 18 registered a turnout of 61.13%, carrying forward the momentum recorded during this summer’s Lok Sabha polls, when a turnout of 58.46% was recorded, the highest in 35 years.

In the second phase, voters across 25 seats continued to turn up in unprecedented numbers, enabling a high turnout of 56.95% in an area otherwise marred by terrorism and violent boycotts.

Jammu and Kashmir assembly election 2024 live updates: BJP candidate from Bahu assembly constituency, Vikram Randhawa, offered prayers at the Bawe Wali Mata Mahakali Mandir ahead of the elections. Congress' Taranjit Singh Tony and PDP's Varinder Singh are his main opponents.

"I prayed that Mata Rani strengthens the nationalist powers. These elections will take Jammu and Kashmir in a new direction. J&K has decided to take the best decision this time," Randhawa told ANI.

Jammu and Kashmir assembly election 2024 live updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the people of Jammu and Kashmir to cast their votes in the third and final phase of polls.

“Today is the third and last round of voting in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. I request all voters to come forward and cast their votes to make the festival of democracy a success. I am confident that apart from the young friends who are going to vote for the first time, women power will also participate in the voting in large numbers,” he wrote on X.

Jammu and Kashmir assembly election 2024 live updates: The voting in third and final phase of the assembly election across 40 seats have begun.

Jammu and Kashmir assembly election 2024 live updates: Union home minister Amit Shah urged voters to exercise their franchise in the third phase of polls. “Jammu and Kashmir needs a government that is visionary and can take strong decisions for security, peace and stability here. Today, the people voting here in the last phase should use their vote power to form a government that keeps Jammu and Kashmir away from terrorism, separatism, nepotism and corruption and is determined to protect the rights of every section. Cast a historic vote for tourism, education, employment and all-round development in Jammu and Kashmir,” he wrote in Hindi on X.

Jammu and Kashmir assembly election 2024 live updates: According to Election Commission (EC) officials, 24 of the 40 seats across seven districts are in Jammu and the remaining 16 are in the Valley. Over 3.9 million voters are eligible to exercise their franchise at 5,060 polling stations and more than 20,000 staff were mobilised to oversee the voting process during this phase.

Jammu and Kashmir assembly election 2024 live updates: In Jammu division, Jammu district accounts for the highest number of 11 segments (Bishnah-SC, Suchetgarh-SC, R S Pura, Jammu South, Bahu, Jammu East, Nagrota, Jammu West, Jammu North, Akhnoor-SC and Chhamb), followed by six seats in Kathua district (Bani, Billawar, Basohli, Jasrota, Kathua-SC and Hiranagar), four in Udhampur district (Udhampur West, Udhampur East, Chenni and Ramnagar-SC) and three in Samba (Ramgarh-SC, Samba and Vijaypur).

Similarly in Kashmir division, 16 assembly constituencies including Karnah, Tregham, Kupwara, Lolab, Handwara and Langate fall in Kupwara district, Sopore, Rafiabad, Uri, Baramulla, Gulmarg, Wagoora-Kreeri and Pattan in Baramulla district and Sonawari, Bandipora, Gurez (ST) in Bandipora district.

Jammu and Kashmir assembly election 2024 live updates: Jammu and Kashmir is going to the third and final phase of polling today, with over 3.9 million voters ready to exercise their franchise across 40 assembly seats - 24 in Jammu region and 16 in Kashmir.

The final phase of polling, which will begin at 7 am and conclude by 7 pm in the Valley, will determine the future of 415 candidates.