Says, democratic spirit thrives in J&K; ‘parliament elections was pure attempt to replace the bullet with the ballot in J&K,’ says CEC Rajiv Kumar
Aazan Manzoor
Srinagar, Aug 16 (KB): The Chief Election Commissioner of India, Rajiv Kumar, has expressed optimism about the upcoming elections in Jammu and Kashmir, highlighting the region’s strong democratic spirit.
“During their visits, people across the state demonstrated readiness and enthusiasm for the electoral process,” he said as per the Kashmir Bulletin (KB). “Wherever we went, people were ready to participate in elections,” Kumar stated.
Speaking about Jammu and Kashmir, he added that the impressive voter turnout observed in recent polls was noteworthy. “Long queues of voters were seen across polling stations, with a combined voter turnout of over 56.38% amongst women. This participation is a testament to the democratic spirit of J&K,” said CEC Rajiv Kumar. “Youth and women, in particular, are asserting their voices at the polling booths, eager to contribute to shaping history,” he said.
“The parliament elections was a pure attempt to replace the bullet with the ballot. The valley has denied violence, and the people have chosen the ballot over the bullet,” remarked Kumar while praising the peaceful nature of the elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
“To make the voting process easier for Kashmiri migrants, the Election Commission has abolished the cumbersome Form M for those voting in Jammu and Udhampur. For migrants outside these areas, self-attestation of certificates is now sufficient. Special polling stations have been set up in Delhi, Jammu, and Udhampur, where 23,504 Kashmiri migrants have already cast their votes,” he said.
Providing detailed statistics about the electoral landscape in Jammu and Kashmir, Kumar, as per KB, said the region has a total of 87.09 lakh voters, including 44.46 lakh males, 42.62 lakh females, and 3.71 lakh first-time voters aged 18-19. “The total number of polling stations stands at 11,838, spread across 9,169 locations, with an average of 735 voters per station,” he said.
“We expect more voters this time, and we hope for a significant turnout among women,” said CEC Kumar, highlighting the evolving political environment in Jammu and Kashmir.
Notably, as the Amarnath Yatra concludes on August 19, the final voter roll will be published on August 20, with copies made available to all,” Kumar said with a poetic note.
Election Schedule, as Per ECI will be in phases three phases, and they are as. Phase-I (24 ACs): Date of Issue of Gazette Notification – 20.08.2024, Last Date of Making Nominations – 27.08.2024, Date for Scrutiny of Nominations – 28.08.2024, Last Date for Withdrawal of Candidatures – 30.08.2024, Date of Poll – 25.09.2024, Date of Counting – 04.10.2024, Date Before Which Election Shall Be Completed – 06.10.2024.
Phase-II (26 ACs): Date of Issue of Gazette Notification – 29.06.2024, Last Date of Making Nominations – 05.09.2024, Date for Scrutiny of Nominations – 06.09.2024, Last Date for Withdrawal of Candidatures – 09.09.2024, Date of Poll – 25.09.2024, Date of Counting – 04.10.2024, Date Before Which Election Shall Be Completed – 06.10.2024.
Phase-III (40 ACs): Date of Issue of Gazette Notification – 05.09.2024, Last Date of Making Nominations – 12.09.2024, Date for Scrutiny of Nominations – 13.09.2024, Last Date for Withdrawal of Candidatures – 01.10.2024, Date of Poll – 25.09.2024, Date of Counting – 04.10.2024, Date Before Which Election Shall Be Completed – 06.10.2024.—(KB)
