Congress-NC Alliance Leads in Exit Polls for Jammu & Kashmir Assembly Elections

New Delhi: The exit polls for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024 have started rolling in, with predictions favoring the alliance between Congress and the National Conference (NC). According to exit polls from People’s Pulse and Dainik Bhaskar, the Congress-NC alliance is expected to win the majority of seats, indicating that their partnership has been advantageous in the elections.

People’s Pulse Exit Poll Predictions

People’s Pulse has forecasted 23-27 seats for the BJP, while the Congress-NC alliance is expected to secure 46-50 seats. The PDP, however, is lagging, with only 7-11 seats predicted, and others are expected to win 4-6 seats.

Dainik Bhaskar Exit Poll Predictions

The Dainik Bhaskar exit poll predicts the BJP will win between 20 and 25 seats, while Congress-NC could gain 35-40 seats. For the PDP, it predicts 4-7 seats, and other parties are expected to win 12-16 seats.

Recap of 2014 Elections

In the 2014 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, the BJP won 25 seats, while the PDP emerged as the largest party with 28 seats. Congress won 12 seats, and the National Conference secured 15. The Poll of Polls results at that time showed the BJP with 24 seats, Congress with 8, National Conference with 11, PDP with 37, and others with 7.

Voter Turnout

Voting took place in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1. According to the Chief Electoral Officer’s office, voter turnout was 63.45% overall, higher than the recent Lok Sabha elections. Voter turnout was 61.38% in the first phase, 57.31% in the second, and 69.65% in the third phase. Notably, West Pakistan refugees, Valmiki, and Gurkhas, who had been deprived of voting rights for 75 years, voted for the first time.

First Election After Article 370 Removal

This election is the first in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, which removed the state’s special status. The results will decide who takes control of Jammu and Kashmir’s government.

Major Contenders

The primary political players in this election include the National Conference-Congress alliance, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and the BJP. The competition among these major parties makes the outcome especially significant.

Voters and Assembly Details

There are a total of 87.09 lakh voters, including 42.6 lakh women, voting for the 90 assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir. Out of the total 114 seats in the assembly, 24 are reserved for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Results for both Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections will be declared on October 8.

As the final counting date approaches, all eyes are on the Congress-NC alliance as exit polls show it leading with the potential to form the next government in Jammu and Kashmir.