Jammu and Kashmir polls Live Updates: Unemployment is biggest issue, says Azad after casting his vote

Democratic Progressive Azad Party Chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad said, "The biggest issue is unemployment and it is not just the issue of the youth, it is the issue of the entire society. For the last many years, no plan or program has been made for employment...Elections are fought on issues but no one raises the issues of the people. The voters of Jammu and Kashmir will form the government. Whoever they vote for will form the government."

Jammu and Kashmir Workers Party President Mir Junaid said, "Of course, there is no need to talk to them (Pakistan) until they stop sending terrorists and killing sane people, killing our doctors, engineers. All these political parties have been fooling people. Tomorrow they will say we want to talk to China. How will we talk to them? ... People want us to talk to a country that is worth talking to. Talks will be with those who are not killing our people with guns."

National Conference candidate from Sopore, Irshad Rasool Kar cast his vote in the third and the last phase of assembly elections.

According to the Election Commission of India's website, 28.12 per cent voter turnout was reported till 11 am in the third phase of polling in Jammu and Kashmir. Here is district-wise voter turnout

• Bandipora: 28.04 per cent
• Baramulla: 23.20 per cent
• Jammu: 27.15 per cent
• Kathua: 31.78 per cent
• Kupwara: 27.34 per cent
• Samba: 31.50 per cent
• Udhampur: 33.84 per cent

According to the Election Commission of India's website, 28.12 per cent voter turnout was reported till 11 am in the third phase of polling in Jammu and Kashmir.

PDP candidate from Pattan Assembly constituency, Javid Iqbal says, "This is my victory as people have come out to vote in large numbers...If I win the elections I will work to ensure the development of the constituency..."

On the third phase of voting in Jammu and Kashmir, Jammu Deputy Commissioner Ramesh Kumar said, "Complete arrangements have been made at the polling stations, about 12% voting has been done till 9 am. Voting is going on peacefully everywhere."

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, "Today is the third and last phase of elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Remember, this election is about the self-respect of the state, it is about the rights of the people of the state. All voters are requested to come out of their homes in large numbers and vote for INDIA. Your every vote for INDIA will secure the foundation of the future of Jammu and Kashmir and will give you the strength to fight for your rights."

Jammu East Assembly BJP candidate Yudhvir Sethi casts his vote in the first phase of Jammu and Kashmir elections.

After casting his vote, BJP candidate from  Nagrota Assembly seat, Devender Singh Rana said, "It is a festival of democracy and people are enthusiastic and people are participating in it with so much enthusiasm and passion. The people of Jammu and Kashmir have faith in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and want to include themselves in this journey of Viksit Bharat. For the first time in Jammu and Kashmir, a full majority government of BJP will be formed."

BJP candidate from Nagrota Assembly seat, Devender Singh Rana cast his vote at a polling booth in Jammu.

On security arrangements for polling in Sopore, Divya D, SSP Sopore said, "Voting has been going on since 7 am and everything is going smoothly so far. Our security arrangements are in place. Our officers are also present on the ground, so everything is going smoothly. People are coming out in large numbers to vote and we are expecting more participation than previous elections."

According to the Election Commission of India's website, 11.60 per cent voter turnout was reported till 9 am in the third phase of polling in Jammu and Kashmir. Here is the voter turnout district-wise- 

• Bandipora: 11.64 per cent
• Baramulla: 8.89 per cent
• Jammu: 11.46 per cent
• Kathua: 13.09 per cent
• Kupwara: 11.27 per cent
• Samba: 13.31 per cent
• Udhampur: 14.23 per cent

According to the Election Commission of India's website, The highest voter turnout (14.23 per cent) was reported in Udhampur, while the lowest (8.89 per cent) in Baramulla.

According to the Election Commission of India's website, 11.60 per cent voter turnout was reported till 9 am in the third phase of polling in Jammu and Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir BJP president and candidate from Nowshera Assembly seat Ravinder Raina said, "A large number of people are voting in the last phase of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The people of Jammu and Kashmir have participated wholeheartedly in this festival of democracy. These elections have been conducted very well."

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, "As voting for the third phase of the Jammu and Kashmir elections commences, I urge the people in these 40 Assembly seats to exercise their Democratic rights in large numbers. This is the final chance to teach a lesson to those who snatched statehood from the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Remember, that a single vote can change your destiny and usher in a brighter future, which secures your Constitutional rights. A single vote is valuable enough to ensure better employment opportunities for the young, take on the corrupt, safeguard your land rights and ensure progress and prosperity. We welcome the first time voters, for the future course for Jammu and Kashmir shall be decided by their participation. Once again, I request you to join the voting queue."

Union Minister Jitendra Singh and his family members show their inked fingers after casting their vote, at a polling booth in Bahu Assembly Constituency for the third and final phase of polling for Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024.

Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) President Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Engineer Rashid said, "The voting percentage has increased because people have been victims of state repression...the voice of the people has been suppressed since the PDP came to power in 2014. People want to express their feelings and they want change because they have understood that they can achieve something only through democratic means. Violence has no place in society...the people of Kashmir have always believed in democracy. They also wanted a democratic solution to the Kashmir issue. I hope an era of reconciliation will begin after the voting."

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the people of the Union Territory should exercise their franchise to form a government that would keep away terrorism, separatism, corruption and dynastic politics. Shah also said Jammu and Kashmir needed a government that was visionary and could take strong decisions for security, peace and stability. "Today, the people voting in Jammu and Kashmir in the last phase should use their power of vote to form a government that keeps Jammu and Kashmir away from terrorism, separatism, corruption and dynastic politics and is determined to protect the rights of every section," he said in a post in Hindi on X.

24 'special' polling stations -- 19 in Jammu, four in Delhi, and one in Udhampur district -- have been established for migrant voters of the Kashmir division.

BJP candidate from Jammu North constituency Sham Lal Sharma cast his vote at a polling booth in Purkhoo Government School, Jammu.

BJP candidate from Jammu North constituency Sham Lal Sharma said "This is the biggest festival of democracy. People in J&K have been waiting for Assembly elections for a long time. The long queues outside polling stations are proof that people want change in J&K. I am confident that the people in 24 seats in the Jammu province are going to break the voting records of the last several years...I request the voters to chose the best candidates..."

Among the prominent candidates in the fray in this phase are Raman Bhalla (R S Pura), Usman Majid (Bandipora), Nazir Ahmad Khan (Gurez), Taj Mohiuddin (Uri), Basharat Bukhari (Wagoora-Kreeri), Imran Ansari (Pattan), Ghulam Hassan Mir (Gulmarg), Choudhary Lal Singh (Basohli), Rajiv Jasrotia (Jasrota), Manohar Lal Sharma (Billawar), Sham Lal Sharma, and Ajay Kumar Sadhotra (Jammu North).

Jammu: Democratic Progressive Azad Party chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad cast his vote at a polling station in Jammu for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections.

People queued up at a polling station in Jammu to vote in the third and final phase of the Assembly elections.

Democratic Progressive Azad Party chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad said, "I appeal to people to come out and vote. The political party that comes to power should resolve the issues. I will not speak against or in favour of any party. Voters will decide whether (majority) will be given to a single party or not..."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to voters to cast their votes in Jammu and Kashmir. "Today is the third and last round of voting in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. I request all voters to come forward and cast their votes to make the festival of democracy a success. I am confident that apart from the young friends who are going to vote for the first time, women power will also participate in the voting in large numbers," his X post read.

More than 400 companies of security forces, including paramilitary and armed police personnel, have been deployed to ensure a safe voting environment.

The assembly segments in the region that went to the polls today are Baramulla, Uri, Rafiabad, Pattan, Gulmarg, Sopore, and Wagoora-Kreeri (Baramulla district), Kupwara, Karnah, Trehgam, Handwara, Lolab, and Langate (Kupwara district), and Bandipora, Sonawari, and Gurez (Bandipora district).

The election will witness West Pakistani refugees, the Valmiki Samaj, and the Gorkha community exercise their franchise, having gained voting rights for the first assembly polls following the 2019 abrogation of Article 370. They previously participated in the Block Development Council and the District Development Council polls of 2019 and 2020, respectively.

More than 39.18 lakh eligible voters are set to decide the electoral fate of 415 candidates, including two former deputy chief ministers Tara Chand and Muzaffar Baig.

Senior BJP leaders, including Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and party president J P Nadda, had actively campaigned, accusing the Congress, National Conference (NC) and People's Democratic Party (PDP) of pursuing a "Pakistani agenda" and fostering terrorism -- a claim vehemently denied by these parties.

The BJP achieved its best poll performance in Jammu and Kashmir in the 2014 Assembly election, winning 18 seats from the four Jammu districts and securing a total of 25 seats. Historically, the saffron party has never won any Assembly seat in the Kashmir valley.

PM Modi's rallies aimed at galvanising support for the BJP in the party's traditional stronghold in the Jammu region, asserting that the Union Territory status for Jammu and Kashmir is merely "temporary" and promising restoration of statehood.

The Voting for the final phase in 40 constituencies began on Tuesday morning.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spearheaded the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) campaign, emphasising the party's initiatives over the last 10 years to address what he described as "decades of injustice and historic discrimination".

The voter turnout was robust in the earlier phases, with 61.38 per cent participation recorded in the first phase on September 18 and 57.31 per cent in the second phase on September 26.

Voting for the final phase will cover 40 Assembly segments across seven districts -- Jammu, Udhampur, Samba and Kathua in the Jammu region and Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara in north Kashmir.

The intense campaigning for the third and final phase of polling in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election concluded on Sunday evening, with major political parties, particularly the BJP, Congress, NC and PDP, engaging in fierce exchanges over critical issues, including Pakistan, Article 370, terrorism and reservation.

The voting for the third and final phase of the assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir will begin at 7 am and continue till 6 pm on Tuesday.

This is the first Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution in August 2019, with the results set to be announced on October 8.