Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha made a public appeal to voters to participate in record numbers as the first phase of voting for the J&K Assembly elections kicked off on Wednesday.

In a post on X, Sinha encouraged youth, women, and first-time voters to exercise their democratic rights. “The J&K Assembly elections commence today. I call upon all voters whose constituencies are voting in the first phase to turn out in record numbers and exercise their democratic rights. I especially urge youth, women, and first-time voters to vote in large numbers”.

As of 9 AM, the Election Commission of India (ECI) reported a voter turnout of 11.11%, with Kishtwar leading at 14.83% followed by Doda at 12.90%, Ramban at 11.91%, Shopian at 11.44%, Kulgam at 10.77%, Anantnag at 10.26%, and Pulwama at 9.18%.

Polling in the first phase is being conducted under tight security, with voting set to conclude at 6 PM. This phase includes 24 assembly constituencies—16 in the Kashmir region and 8 in the Jammu region. Voting for the second and third phases will take place on September 25 and October 1, respectively, with vote counting scheduled for October 8.

(With ANI inputs)