Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Monday said that in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, more young people have asserted their faith and embraced democracy in a big way.
He said that another interesting perspective is the electors in the age group of 18-59 years which forms the major part of electors in the UT.
"The high poll percentage in general elections 2024 is reflective of their faith in democracy, which is a positive and heartening development", he said.
In a massive stride for India's electoral polity, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed its highest poll participation in the last 35 years. The Combined Voter Turnout (VTR) at the polling stations for the entire Union Territory (Five Lok Sabha seats) was 58.46 % in the General Elections of 2024", the CEC said.
This significant participation is a testament to the robust democratic spirit and civic engagement of the people in the region.
The commission led by CEC Rajiv Kumar along with ECs Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu thanked the polling personnel and security officials for the peaceful conduct of elections in the UT.
Rajiv Kumar while conveying ECIs compliments to the voters of J&K said "This achievement sits on a credible weave of 25% increase in the number of contesting candidates since 2019, C-vigil complaints showing enhanced citizen involvement and Suvidha Portal showing 2455 requests for rallies, etc., reflecting the steady retaking of the election and campaign space away from hesitation and to fuller participation".
Assembly elections will be held soon to strengthen democracy in J&K
The CEC further said, "Compared this outcome of the layered depth of electoral mobilization and participation, as reminiscent of the fame and deft of the legendary Kashmiri artisanal weave.".
He observed that this active participation is a huge positive for Assembly elections to be held soon so that the democratic process continues to thrive in the Union Territory.
Efforts of the authorities yielded encouraging results
The historic participation in the UT was realized by earnest efforts of the election and security officials who had worked tirelessly to empower the people of Jammu and Kashmir, especially the youth to participate in the elections.
"More young people have asserted their faith and embraced democracy in a big way. Another interesting perspective is the electors in the age group of 18-59 years which forms the major part of electors in the UT. The high poll percentage in general elections 2024 is reflective of their faith in democracy, which is a positive and heartening development", he said.
Special polling stations were set up for Kashmiri migrants
The Commission has also enabled Kashmiri migrant voters residing at various relief camps in Delhi, Jammu, and Udhampur to also have the option of voting in person at designated special polling stations or using postal ballot. 21 Special Polling Stations were established at Jammu, one at Udhampur, and four at Delhi.
Ladakh, which was constituted as a separate Union Territory in 2019, also saw an enthusiastic response to the call for democracy as reflected in the VTR of 71.82%.
