"Lok Sabha Elections In J&K Triumph Of Ballot Over Bullet": Poll Body Chief

Announcing the dates for the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said on Friday that the Lok Sabha polls in the Union Territory were a triumph of "ballot over bullet".

Mr Kumar emphasised that the Lok Sabha elections, which were held in five phases between 19 April and May 25, had seen historic participation, with a voter turnout of 58.58%. The participation and the queues of voters, he said, was proof that people not only wanted change but wanted to be a part of the change.

"We went to Jammu and Kashmir to take stock of the poll preparedness recently. You would remember the long queues at polling stations during the Lok Sabha elections, which presented a spectacle of the strength of democracy. They weren't just long queues, they represented the hopes of the people and their desire to script a new future for themselves. Everybody wanted to participate and prove a point that they were in the queue not only to vote but to demonstrate a very strong desire to ensure that democracy flourishes in this area," Mr Kumar said in Hindi. 

"This showed that the people not only wanted change but wanted to write their own destinies by being part of the change. This was purely a triumph of ballot over bullet. The three Lok Sabha constituencies in the Valley saw a voter turnout of 51%. The people of the Valley said no to violence and decided to make their voices heard through votes. The people of the Union Territory chose the ballot over bullet and boycott," he added. 

The Election Commission said not only had youth made their voices heard at the polling booth, but women had done so too, with the Union Territory seeing a turnout of 56.38% among them. 

The Kashmir Valley also reached a new peak in terms of poll participation, seeing a 30-point increase compared to 2019. 

The Assembly elections in the UT will be held in three phases, beginning September 18 and ending on October 1, with counting taking place on October 4. 

First Assembly Elections In 10 Years

In December last year, while delivering its verdict on Article 370, a five-judge Constitutional bench of the Supreme Court 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 UT has been without an elected government for over six years and the last Assembly elections were held in December 2014.

Jammu and Kashmir has also completed five years as a Union Territory this year. On August 5, 2019, the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two Union Territories and its special status under Article 370 was removed. It has been administered by the lieutenant governor since then.