The third phase of voting in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections recorded a cumulative voter turnout of 65.48% as of 5 p.m. on Tuesday, according to the Election Commission of India.
Udhampur district had the highest voter turnout at 72.91%, followed closely by Samba at 72.41% and Kathua at 70.53%. Baramulla recorded the lowest turnout at 55.73%, while Bandipore saw a turnout of 63.33%. Jammu and Kupwara reported turnouts of 66.79% and 62.76%, respectively.
Polling began at 7 a.m. across 40 constituencies in seven districts of the Union Territory and will conclude at 6 p.m. Voting is taking place in 24 constituencies in the Jammu division and 16 in Kashmir, with enhanced security measures in place to ensure smooth and peaceful polling.
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Compared to the previous two phases, the third phase has shown significant improvement in voter turnout.
At least 415 candidates are contesting in this phase. The election involves a multi-party contest for the 90 seats across the former state, with the National Conference and Congress forming an alliance, and the People's Democratic Party and Bharatiya Janata Party among the other major contenders.
Vote counting is scheduled for October 8.