JAMMU, OCT 07: The long wait for the results of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections will come to an end tomorrow, as the counting of votes for all 90 seats is set to take place across 20 districts of the Union Territory. The results are expected to be declared by tomorrow evening if the process proceeds without interruptions, according to officials.
“Security arrangements, similar to those during the elections, have been put in place throughout Jammu and Kashmir as authorities anticipate victory processions by the winning candidates and political parties. There will be no relaxation in security until the counting process is completed, and all results are declared by October 10,” officials stated.
The counting will be conducted in each district of Jammu and Kashmir, with votes for the Assembly seats under the district’s jurisdiction to be tallied there. Jammu division, which has 43 seats, will see the highest number of constituencies in Jammu district (11), followed by Kathua (6), Rajouri (5), Udhampur (4), Samba (3), Poonch (3), Reasi (3), Doda (3), Kishtwar (3), and Ramban (2).
This will mark the first elected Government in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganization of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories—Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The last Assembly elections in 2014 included four constituencies from Ladakh, but the region is now a separate Union Territory.
A three-tier security system has been implemented at all counting centers across the Union Territory, ensuring that only authorized personnel, including counting agents and staff on duty, are permitted inside. “The vote tally for each candidate will be announced after every round through a public address system outside the counting halls,” officials added.
The voter turnout for this election stood at 63.45%, slightly lower than the 65.52% recorded in the 2014 Assembly polls. This election was held in three phases, with 24 seats going to polls on September 18, 26 seats on September 25, and the remaining 40 seats on October 1.
Exit polls, released on Saturday, indicate a strong showing for the National Conference-Congress alliance, with the National Conference expected to secure a large share of the seats. The BJP is predicted to slightly improve its tally of 25 seats from 2014, while the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which won 28 seats in the previous polls, is expected to win fewer than 10 this time.
