About 59 per cent of the electorate in Jammu and Kashmir turned out to vote on Wednesday, giving a thumbs up to the union territory's first assembly election since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 with round one going off without incident.

Chief Electoral Officer P K Pole said this is the highest voter turnout in the past seven Lok Sabha and assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The figures might go up after the final reports are received from the remote pockets and postal ballots, he said.

Voting began at 7 am and proceeded steadily through the day. Men and women, the young and old, some too frail to walk and others patiently waiting their turn, queued up outside polling booths across Kashmir Valley and Jammu.

Of the 90 seats, 24 voted in the first phase -- 16 in the Kashmir Valley and eight in the Jammu region. Over 2.3 million voters were eligible to cast the ballot to determine the fate of 219 candidates, including 90 Independents.

At 9 am, two hours after polling began, the turnout was 11.11 per cent. At 1 pm, it was 26.72 per cent. At 3 pm, 50.65 per cent of the voters had turned up. And by 5 pm, the number had inched up to 58.19 per cent.

After the polling ended at 6 pm, Chief Electoral Officer P K Pole said that tentatively the overall voter turnout was about 59 percent -- the highest in the past seven Lok Sabha and assembly elections.

The elections to the 90-member assembly are the first since Article 370 granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir was abrogated in August 2019 and the state was downgraded into the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Security forces fanned out to ensure that there was no trouble. The day was largely without incident except for reports of clashes between political workers in some areas of Bijbehara and D H Pora.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the several leaders encouraging voters to come out in large numbers and take part in the "festival of democracy".

In a post on X, he particularly targeted young and first-time voters in his appeal.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also appealed for a strong voter turnout to elect a government focused on youth education, employment, and women's empowerment while combating separatism.

"Pehle matdan phir jalpan", he said in a post on X, asking people to vote before breakfast.

He encouraged voters to prioritise casting their votes before meals.

Lt Governor Manoj Sinha also asked people, particularly youth and women, to exercise their democratic rights.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed voters, reminding them of the implications of the state's status change and urging them to safeguard their rights.

He stressed on the importance of participation for a future characterised by peace, stability, and development.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi sought support for the INDIA bloc, calling the election a chance for the voters to reclaim their rights and foster employment opportunities in the region.

He termed the downgrading of the state's status a "violation of constitutional rights," urging citizens to vote for a prosperous future.

National Conference's Omar Abdullah said, "The more we talk about the importance of these polls, the less it will be. They are happening after 10 years and a lot has changed in these 10 years. Jammu and Kashmir was divided into two, Ladakh was separated from us, we were granted a UT status even as we fail to understand how it benefitted us.

"We have not forgotten what happened with Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019, so it is a very important election in all respects." The former chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir said he hoped the votes would go in favour of the NC-Congress alliance in which a CPI(M) member is also a part of.

"But it is the voters who will decide. We have tried to take our agenda for J-K for the next five years to the voters, let us see what happens," he said.

The next phases are on September 25 and October 1. The votes will be counted on October 8.

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