Mudasir Ahmad
Srinagar, Oct 9: Despite the National Conference (NC) and Congress likely forming the government in Jammu and Kashmir, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has secured the highest vote share in the recently concluded assembly elections.
The NC emerged as the largest party, winning 42 seats, followed by the BJP with 29, Congress with 6, and the JKPDP with 3 seats. The remaining seats were won by smaller parties and independents. While the NC-Congress alliance is set to form the government, the BJP stands out for achieving the highest vote share.
The BJP secured 25.64% of the vote in this election, up from 22.98% in the 2014 assembly polls. Over the years, the party has cut vote banks of traditional parties, particularly the NC and Congress. The Congress, in particular, has suffered a significant blow, with its vote share shrinking from 18.01% in 2014 to 11.97% in this election. This sharp decline in vote share has also halved the party’s seat count, dropping from 12 in 2014 to 6 in the current assembly.
Meanwhile, the NC has managed to increase its vote share from 20.77% in 2014 to 23.43% in 2024, while also significantly boosting its seat tally from 15 to 42. On the other hand, the JKPDP has seen a dramatic decline, with its vote share plummeting from 22.67% in 2014 to just 8.87% in this election.
The assembly elections were conducted in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1. Voter turnout varied across phases, with 61.38% in the first phase, 57.31% in the second phase, and a notable increase to 69.65% in the final phase. The overall voter turnout stood at 62.78%.
In the 2014 elections, the PDP secured 28 seats, followed by the BJP with 25, all from Jammu, NC with 15, and Congress with 12 seats. (KINS)
