Women wait to cast their votes at a polling station during the second phase of assembly elections in Handwara on Tuesday. (Press Trust of India)
The turnout in the second phase of elections in Jammu and Kashmir equalled the spectacular first phase, with a figure of 72%. The Election Commission expects it to go further up when the final figures come in. The first phase of the elections, held on November 25, saw a record turnout of 72.1% - the highest in 25 years.
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The election fever in Jammu and Kashmir had heightened in this leg after the record turnout of the first phase. In the run-up to the polls, militants, who had not enforced their election boycott call this time, had made their presence felt with three attacks - one of which cost 10 lives.
Security had been tightened in the wake of the attacks and the Election Commission said the voting was peaceful in the state.
Polling was also held in Jharkhand, where a turnout of 65.5% was recorded - up 5% from the last assembly elections. The figure is higher than even the first phase, which saw a turnout of 62.5%.
In Jammu and Kashmir, 18 seats went to polls, 175 candidates were in fray, including four sitting ministers.The ruling National Conference had six seats, Congress three, PDP four, JKNPP two, BJP one, CPI(M) one and Independent one.
This is the first election in 25 years in which people have ignored the bitter cold and a boycott call by separatists.
The militancy-hit border district of Kupwara recorded 86% turnout - 18 per cent higher than the 2008 election.
The second phase of elections too, saw a high voltage campaign. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held two rallies in Udhampur and Poonch. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi also addressed a rally in Poonch.
The state is seeing a four-way battle between the Congress, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's National Conference, the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the BJP, which has set itself the target of winning 50 plus seats in the 87-member assembly, with an eye on forming government.
The Congress and the National Conference had won the last Assembly elections. They were partners till July this year, when they parted ways and decided to contest separately this year.
In the national elections this year, the BJP registered its best performance ever in Jammu and Kashmir, winning three of six Lok Sabha seats. The PDP had won the other three, with the Congress-National Conference alliance routed.
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