New Delhi: Voting concluded for 24 assembly seats in the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, with displaced Kashmiri Pandits casting their votes at special polling stations in Delhi. Four polling stations were established in the national capital to accommodate displaced voters.
One of the polling stations was located at Arwachin International School in Dilshad Garden, where 13 separate booths were set up for 77 voters from eight different assembly constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir. By 2 PM, 23 of these voters had cast their votes.
The Kashmiri Pandits who came to vote expressed their happiness, many noting that this was the first time in 35 years they were able to exercise their franchise. One voter said, "We have done our duty by voting; now it's time for the government to fulfil its duty and rehabilitate us."
Security at the polling stations was tightened, with personnel from the Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police and Jammu and Kashmir Police ensuring a smooth process. Only voters and election staff were allowed near the polling stations.
The elections in Jammu and Kashmir are being held in three phases, with the vote count scheduled for October 8. This is the first election in the region since the abrogation of Article 370. In the first phase, 24 polling stations were set up across India for over 35,000 displaced Kashmiri Pandits. A total of 219 candidates are contesting in seven districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
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