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People's Democratic Party (PDP) candidate from the Bijbehara Assembly constituency, Iltija Mufti, stated on Wednesday that a significant number of people had come out to vote, urging the central government in Delhi to respect the mandate and ensure a free, fair, and transparent election.
Mufti said, "I am pleased to see people coming out to vote. I have been visiting polling booths since morning, and both the young and elderly have come out to cast their votes. Delhi must honour this mandate and ensure that the election is free, fair, and transparent... We have received reports that the opposition may be attempting to engage in malpractice, though these claims are yet to be verified. We also have complaints about the National Conference (NC) and how they have been handling people." Meanwhile, in the first phase of the Assembly polls in the Union Territory, voter turnout stood at 50.65 per cent as of 3 pm. Kishtwar district recorded the highest turnout at 70.03 per cent, while the lowest was recorded in Pulwama at 36.90 per cent. Voting, which began at 7 am, is continuing across the Union Territory and will conclude at 6 pm. Notably, Kashmiri migrant voters cast their ballots under tight security at the ITI College campus in Jammu. BJP's Kishtwar candidate, Shagun Parihar, on Wednesday launched a strong attack on opposition candidates from the PDP and National Conference, accusing them of attempting to undermine her by alleging that she was playing the victim card to garner sympathy. In the first phase, 24 Assembly constituencies across the Union Territory are voting today, with 16 seats in the Kashmir region and 8 in the Jammu region. Voting for the second and third phases in J&K will be held on September 25 and October 1, respectively. Vote counting is scheduled for October 8. (ANI)
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