Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 8: Just concluded Parliament elections in six seats of Jammu and Kashmir have recorded an increase of 11.7 percent in the electorate turnout over 2009 Lok Sabha elections with 36.80 lakh out of a total of about 70 lakh electorates in the State exercising their right to franchise.
Three Lok Sabha seats in the State-Jammu-Poonch, Udhampur-Doda and Ladakh recorded above 70 per cent turnout, a rare phenomenon in entire country as there were very few States excepting in high turnout States of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Seemandhara and Punjab, where several seats accounted for 70 per cent or even more voting percentage as compared to 2009 polls.
Official sources told the Excelsior that polling percentage in 2009 Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir was 39.68 while in 2014 elections it went up to 51.41 per cent, an increase of 11.73 per cent. The increase in voting percentage would have been much higher but for the three Lok Sabha seats of the Kashmir Valley, which either recorded negligible increase or even decline in the percentage.
Out of about 70 lakh electorates in Jammu and Kashmir, nearly 36.8 lakh cast their votes. Though the Kashmir Valley has more voters than Jammu region, the votes polled were nearly double in Jammu as compared to Kashmir.
On two Lok Sabha seats of Jammu region, about 23.48 lakh votes were polled while in three seats of Kashmir, only 12.17 lakh electorates used their right to franchise. In Ladakh region, which has one seat with only 1.6 lakh voters, about 1.14 lakh people cast their votes.
In terms of percentage, Ladakh Lok Sabha seat recorded highest turnout of 72.1 per cent bettering 2009 turnout by just .3 per cent. In 2009, 71.8 per cent votes were polled in Ladakh Parliamentary constituency.
Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat, which witnessed high pitched battle between Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad and his BJP rival Dr Jitendera Singh, also recorded 72 per cent voting, a massive increase of 27 per cent as compared to just 45 per cent polling in 2009 Lok Sabha elections, sources said.
The massive increase in Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat, the highest in any segment of the State, was also attributed to high voltage contest between Azad and Singh. An estimated 10.43 lakh votes were polled in Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat.
The highest number of votes ( about13.05 lakh) were polled in Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat that went to polls in first phase of the State but voting percentage in this constituency stood at 70.6, an increase of about 21 per cent over 2009 Parliamentary poll, when the turnout was just 49.7 per cent. Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat had highest number of 18.48 lakh electorates.
Baramulla Lok Sabha seat in the Kashmir recorded highest turnout among three seats of the Valley with 39.6 per cent electorates exercising their right to vote. However, the voting percentage went down by 1.5 per cent as in 2009, Baramulla seat had witnessed 41.1 per cent turnout. About 5.37 lakh votes were polled for Baramulla Lok Sabha seat, sources said.
Anantnag-Pulwama Lok Sabha seat accounted for 28 per cent voting, an increase of just .9 per cent over 2009 elections when 27.1 per cent voters had cast their votes.
An estimated 3.64 lakh votes have been polled for Anantnag seat, sources said.
Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, where another Union Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah, president National Conference was locked in electoral battle with PDP candidate Tariq Hamid Qarra, recorded a meager .6 per cent increase in voting. While 26.17 per cent electorates cast their votes this time, the turnout was 25.5 per cent in 2009 elections. An estimated 3.15 lakh votes were polled in Srinagar Lok Sabha seat.
Significantly, Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat alone polled more votes than three Parliamentary constituencies of the Kashmir Valley. While about 13.05 lakh votes were polled in Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat, all three seats of the Valley accounted for about 12.17 lakh votes, sources said.
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