Jammu and Kashmir voter turnout improves after terror attacks drop to 23 in 2024, from 222 in 2014
According to a Times of India report, terror-related incidents have dropped to one-tenth of the levels seen a decade ago. This year's assembly elections, the first since the nullification of Article 370 and J&K's reorganisation into a Union Territory in 2019, have witnessed peaceful polling in several areas of Kashmir, an official confirmed.
While the Kashmir Valley recorded positive voter participation, turnout percentages in most of Jammu division, where voting has concluded, have dipped compared to 2014. According to officials, the decline could be linked to the recent surge in terror activities in the region. As of September 27, 15 terror-related attacks and encounters had resulted in the deaths of 11 civilians and 17 security personnel in Jammu.
Out of the 13 J&K districts that held polls during the first two phases on September 18 and 25, eight recorded lower voter turnout compared to 2014. Five of these districts are in Jammu, while three are in Kashmir. Only one of the six Jammu districts, where polling took place in the initial phases, recorded higher voter participation than in 2014. In contrast, four of the seven districts in the Kashmir Valley showed increased turnout. A comparison with the 2024 Lok Sabha polls showed that voter turnout dropped across all but one district—Reasi in Jammu.
Reasi, which saw the year’s deadliest terror attack in July when terrorists opened fire on a bus, killing eight passengers and the driver, also experienced increased voting. Terror-related incidents in J&K have
