J&K will vote in three phases — September 18, September 25 and October 1. Results will be declared on October 4
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Friday said the Lok Sabha polls in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir were a triumph of “ballot over bullet” as he announced the dates for the assembly elections in the erstwhile state.
J&K will vote in three phases — September 18, September 25 and October 1. Results will be declared on October 4.
Addressing the media, Kumar said the long queues at voting centres in J&K during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls were “a sign of the strength of ‘Jamhooriyat’ (democracy)”.
“They were not just long queues, they were the expectations of the people. They [queues] signified a new wish to re-write emotions and their future. Everyone wanted to prove a point that we are here in this queue not only to vote but to demonstrate a very strong desire that democracy flourishes. The glimpse of hope and democracy reflected that people want to change their reality. They want to write their destinies on their own.”
He added: “The long queues were proof of the fact that people don’t just want change but want to be a part of the change. This was a triumph of ballot over bullet. The three parliamentary constituencies of the Valley saw a voting percentage of 51 per cent. The Valley snubbed violence and decided to come out and vote. The people of J&K chose ballot over bullet and boycott.”
The Kashmir Valley also reached a new peak in terms of poll participation, seeing a 30-point increase compared to 2019.
A five-judge Constitutional bench of the Supreme Court, while delivering its verdict on Article 370 in December last year, had directed the Election Commission to hold assembly polls in the UT by September 30. It had also asked the Centre to restore statehood at the earliest.
The last assembly elections in J&K were held in December 2014.
On August 5, 2019, the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two Union Territories — J&K and Ladakh — and its special status under Article 370 was revoked. Since then, it has been administered by the lieutenant governor.
