Jammu and Kashmir Records Highest Voter Turnout in 25 Years

The Election Commission termed the 65 per cent total voter turnout in the five-phase elections in Jammu and Kashmir as "historic and unprecedented".

In Jammu and Kashmir, 20 of the 87 seats voted in this phase, while polling took place in 16 of the 87 seats in Jharkhand.

Braving winter chill, more than 65 per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise today in Jammu and Kashmir. At many places, voters lined up at polling stations much before the start of the voting time at 8 am.

Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand and four of his cabinet colleagues were among 312 candidates whose fate was decided in the 20 seats spread across Jammu, Kathua and Rajouri districts.

In the penultimate phase of election on Sunday, Srinagar made a departure from its usual poll boycott with 28 per cent voting, which was also a 25-year record.

BJP has high stakes in this phase as of the 20 seats that went to polls, it had got the most (10) seats in the 2008 Assembly elections followed by Congress (five seats), National Conference (2 seats), PDP one and Independents two.

The fate of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren was decided today. The incumbent Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) legislator from Dumka is fighting both from Dumka and Barhet.

"I am confident of victory. How will the BJP get a majority as they are claiming? There is no question of them gaining a victory. The victory will be of the people," Mr Soren said in Dumka.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged voters to turn out in record numbers. "I urge all those voting in the fifth and final phase of Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand assembly polls to turn out in record numbers and vote," Mr Modi tweeted on Saturday morning.

The five-phase election began on November 25. The counting of votes will take place on December 23.