06:26 PM ►Sought governor's node to form new government with the support of congress: H.D Kumaraswamy
04:52 PM ►Victory of EVMs: Raj Takhre jokes about BJP lead in Karnataka
04:19 PM ►I condemn congress for trying to get power through left hand path
04:00 PM ►BJP emerges as the largest party, does not comment on JDS-Congress alliance: Yeddyurappa
03:37 PM ►Shiggavi- Victory Basavaraja Bommayi
03:10 PM ►Babaleshvara-MB Patel Victory
03:09 PM ►Shirasi- Vishveshvera Hegde Kagery Victory
03:02 PM ►I have spoken with HD Devegouda and Kumara Swamy: Congress Senior leader Gulam Nabi Azad
03:01 PM ►Congress decision to support JDS: Siddaramaiah
02:41 PM ►Athani-Defeat to Laxman Savadi from BJP
02:29 PM ►Haliyaala-Victory for RV Deshpandey
02:28 PM ►Kadooru-Defeat for JDS YSV Datta
02:23 PM ► Sagara- Defeat Kogodu Thimmappa
01:46 PM ► Varuna-In Varuna great victory for Dr.Yathindra
01:37 PM ► Narasimharaja-Tanvir sait in Lead
01:36 PM ► Byatarayanapura-Victory for Krishne Baire Gowda
01:19 PM ► Chamundeshwari-GT Devegouda won, Siddaramaiah lost
01:14 PM ► Kollegaala-BSP candidate mahesh towards win
01:07 PM ► Baindoor-Bjp Sukumar shetty 20,848 votes lead in Baindoor-16th round
01:05 PM ► Kundapura-Haladi Shrinivas shetty 53673 votes lead in Kundapura-15th round
12:50 PM ► Udupi-Raghupati Bhat leads by 7163 votes in 11th round
12:48 PM ► Breaking News: DK district’s 7 Congress candidates complain against EVM
12:46 PM ► Channapatna- H.D.Kumaraswamy to win
12:28 PM► Karkala - Sunil Kumar's 35,605 votes lead in Karkala-13th round
12:27 PM ► Kapu - Lalaji R. Mendon leads 8976 votes
12:27 PM► Did Siddaramaiah win in Badami?
12:23 PM► Udupi- Raghupathi Bhat leads with 2694 vote in 9th round
12:06 PM ►Puttur: BJP candidate Sanjeeva Matanduru won by 18,946 votes
11:15 AM ► Moodbidri - BJP's Umanath Kotian wins with 29653 votes
11:13 AM ► Shivajinagar - Roshan Beg leading
10:56 AM ► Byndoor- BJP’s Sukumar Shetty leads with 4742 votes after 7th round
10:50 AM ► Karkala- Sunil Kumar leads with 14150 votes in 5th round
10:48 AM ► Kundapur-Halady Srinivas Shetty leads with 21219 votes
10:45 AM ► Kapu - Lalaji R. Mendon leading with 7285 votes
10:41 AM ►Kundapur -Halady Srinivas Shetty, leads with 17,954 votes in the 5th round
10:40 AM ►Mangalore - UT Khader is leading with 13252 votes
10:35 AM ► Badami- Now, Siddaramaiah leading
10:34 AM ► Karkala-Sunil Kumar leads with 11753 votes
10:33 AM ► Badami-Siddaramaiah Trailing
10:32 AM ► BJP candidates win 5 seats in Udupi constituency
10:31 AM ► Bantwal - Rajesh Naik leads 7520 votes
10:29 AM ► Dakshina Kannada: BJP inces close towards victory in 7 constituencies
10:28 AM ► Byndoor-BJP's Sukumar Shetty leads with 2258 vote
10:27 AM ► Sulya-S.Angara leads with 11750 votes
10:26 AM ► Mangaluru- UT Khader leads with 18500 votes
10:25 AM ► Mangalore North - Bharat Shetty leads with 15220 votes
10:22 AM ►Byndoor- BJP's Sukumar Shetty leads in the 5th round with 345 votes
10:21 AM ► Kundapur-Halady Srinivas Shetty leads with 13165 votes
10:17 AM ► GT Deve Gowda lead in Chamundeshwari
10:12 AM ► Kundapur - Halady Srinivas Shetty leads with 10136 vote
10:10 AM ► Sullia- S. Angara 8100 votes lead
10:09 AM ► Belthangady- BJP Harish Poonja is leading with 4700 votes
10:07 AM ► Mangaluru North - Bharat Shetty leads with 8800 votes
10:05 AM ► Mangaluru-UT Khader leads with 15488 votes
10:03 AM ► Mangaluru South-Vedavyas Kamath 7200 votes lead
10:01 AM ► Udupi: Raghupathi Bhat leads with 940 votes, Pramod Madhwaraj Trailing
09:56 AM ► Karkala-BJP's Sunil Kumar leads with 5877 votes, Congress's Gopal Bhandari Trailing
09:53 AM ►Kapu- Vinay Kumar Sorake Trailing
09:53 AM ► Lalaji R. Mendon leads with 4239 votes
09:51 AM ► Puttur-Sanjeeva Matandooruleads with 7242 vote
09:50 AM ► Moodbidri BJP candidate Umanath Kotian, Mangalore Congress candidate UT Khader gets massive lead
09:48 AM ► Byndoor - Gopal Poojari 1144 votes lead
09:48 AM ► Kundapur - Halady Srinivas Shetty leads with 6278 vote
09:04 AM ►Theradala-Umashri leading
8:27 A.M. ►Chikkamagaluru - CT Ravi leading
8:25 A.M. ►Davangere South-Shamanoor Shivashankarappa leads
8:22 A.M. ►Chamundeshwari-GT Deve Gowda leads
8:22 A.M ►Chamundeshwari-GT Deve Gowda leads
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Jammu, Sep 18: A voter turnout of about 59 percent -- "the highest in the past seven elections" -- was recorded in the first phase of assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, Chief Electoral Officer P K Pole said.
However, these are tentative figures and may rise after the final reports are received about postal ballots, and from remote pockets like Marwah, Wadwan, Dachhan and Machail in Kishtwar, the officer said.
Briefing mediapersons here after polling ended at 6 pm, Pole said the elections -- which covered 24 seats in seven districts -- ended peacefully without any untoward incident.
There are reports of some minor incidents of scuffle or argument from a few polling stations but "no serious incident" occurred that could have forced a repoll, he said.
Over 2.3 million voters were eligible to cast the ballot to determine the fate of 219 candidates, including 90 Independents.
"The polling percentage of 59 percent is highest in the past seven elections -- four Lok Sabha polls and three assembly elections," he said, attributing the increase in the voter turnout to various factors including improved security situation, active participation of political parties and candidates and a campaign by the department.
He said Kishtwar district recorded the highest 77 percent turnout, while Pulwama district witnessed the lowest 46 percent.
Doda district recorded a turnout of 69.33 percent, Ramban district 67.71 percent, Kulgam district 61.57 percent, Anantnag district 54.17 percent and Shopian district 53.64 percent.
In the 2014 assembly elections, the district wise poll percentage was: Pulwama 44 percent, Shopian 48 percent, Kulgam 59 percent, Anantnag 60 percent, Ramban 70 percent, Doda 73 percent and Kishtwar 76 percent.
In Kishtwar districts, he said, the Padder-Nagseni segment recorded the highest 80.67 percent voting followed by Inderwal (80.06 percent) and Kishtwar (78.11 percent).
In the nearby Doda district, Doda west segment recorded 75.98 percent, Doda (70.21 percent) and Bhaderwah (65.27 percent).
In Ramban district, Banihal segment recorded 71.28 percent and Ramban 67.34 percent, he said.
Among the seven constituencies of Anantnag district, Pahalgam recorded the highest voter turnout at 67.86 percent, followed by Kokernag (58 percent), Dooru (57.90 percent), Srigufwara-Bijbehara (56.02 percent), Shangus-Anantnag (52.94 percent), Anantnag West (45.93 percent) and Anantnag 41.58 percent, Pole said.
In Pulwama district, the CEO said, the Pulwama segment witnessed 50.42 percent polling, followed by Rajpora 48.07 percent, Pampore 44.74 percent and Tral 43.21 percent.
In Shopian district, the Shopian segment recorded a voter turnout of 54.72 percent and Zainapora 52.64 percent.
In Kulgam district, D H Pora recorded a turnout of 68 percent, Kulgam 62.70 percent and Devsar 57.33 percent, Pole said.
He said seven districts of south Kashmir had been traditionally low poll percentage constituencies and in some of the past elections, the percentage had not even crossed the single digit.
Asked about a social media video purportedly showing a policeman losing temper and aiming his gun before being overpowered by his colleagues outside a polling station in Kishtwar, he said the district election officer and the returning officer concerned have taken note and issue was resolved amicably.
PDP and BJP candidates were involved in an argument at the polling station.
Pole expressed hope that the remaining two phases on September 25 and October 1 will also see high polling percentage.
Meanwhile, the election commission expressed satisfaction over the long queues of voters at the polling stations showcasing the entire world, the deep trust and confidence of the people of J&K in the democratic exercise.
The polling was held across 3,276 Polling Stations in the seven districts and 24 special polling stations set up for migrant pandits in Jammu, Udhampur and Delhi.
According to officials, 31.42 percent of the more than 35,000 eligible kashmiri migrant voters exercised their franchise. While 27 percent cast their votes at 19 polling stations in Jammu, 40 percent at four polling stations in Delhi and 30 percent at one polling station in Udhampur.
In each of the seven districts where voting was held in the first phase, the voter participation exceeded the participation during the Lok Sabha 2024 elections, the election commission said in a release.
The performance builds on the trend witnessed during the Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir which saw a voter turnout of 58.58 percent at polling stations, highest in the last 35 years.
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.
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.