In the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, BJP candidate Javaid Ahmad Qadri from the Shopian constituency praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his role in improving the region’s situation. As voting commenced early Wednesday morning, Qadri highlighted the positive changes under Modi’s leadership, noting increased voter turnout compared to previous years.
Qadri emphasized, “I give the credit to PM Modi, who has played a significant role in improving the situation in J&K. People are coming out in large numbers to cast their votes. The central government has made substantial efforts to ensure the development of Shopian. Before the abrogation of Article 370, only a few families would cast their votes, but today, the common man is actively participating in the electoral process.”
Polling began at 7 a.m. amid stringent security measures, and as of 9 a.m., the cumulative voter turnout across the region was 11.11%, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI). In the initial hours, Kishtwar led with a voter turnout of 14.83%, followed by Doda at 12.90%, Ramban at 11.91%, and Shopian at 11.44%. Other regions showed varied participation rates, with Kulgam at 10.77%, Anantnag at 10.26%, and Pulwama at 9.18%.
Pulwama Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer, Basharat Qayoom, reported that polling was proceeding smoothly across all four assembly constituencies in the district. “Polling is going on very smoothly, with sector and zonal magistrates actively overseeing the process. There is a lot of enthusiasm among voters, and the process is running smoothly,” he said.
Pulwama SSP P.D. Nitya also affirmed that the security arrangements were robust, with 245 polling stations set up to ensure a safe voting environment. “We are expecting a good voter turnout, and proper security measures have been implemented,” Nitya added.
The first phase of the elections involves voting across 24 assembly constituencies, including 16 in the Kashmir region and 8 in the Jammu region. The subsequent phases of voting are scheduled for September 25 and October 1, with the vote counting set for October 8.