The recent Lok Sabha by-election in the Srinagar constituency of Jammu & Kashmir ended in large scale violence and the death of a few people. In fact, the violence has prompted the Election Commission of India (ECI) to postpone the other by-election scheduled in Anantnag constituency. The voting percentage in Srinagar was just over 7% and one the lowest in the history of Jammu & Kashmir. But this is not the lowest ever voting percentage in an election in Jammu & Kashmir.

Polling percentage in J&K was healthy except for in 2002

The polling percentage in the assembly elections of Jammu & Kashmir was healthy in all the elections except in 1967 and 2002. Only in those two elections, the polling percentage was less than 50%. Out of the 10 assembly general elections in the state till date, the polling percentage was more than 60% on six (6) occasions and more than 50% on eight (8) occasions. The highest ever polling percentage was recorded in 1987 (74.88).

10 Constituencies recorded less than 10% in 2002 Assembly Elections

In terms of the polling percentage in assembly constituencies, the 2002 Assembly Election was the worst ever in the history. Ten (10) different constituencies recorded less than 10% polling and a total of 15 constituencies recorded a poll percentage of less than 20% in these elections. In fact, six (6) of the 10 constituencies in 2002 polled less than 5% and the lowest was in Amirakadal.

Amirakadal recorded the worst ever polling percentage in the history of Jammu & Kashmir with just 3.06%. Out of the 74442 registered voters in Amirakadal in 2002, only 2280 exercised their franchise. The winning candidate from the Congress polled just 1163 votes, which is 1.5% of the total registered voters in that constituency.

Less than 20% was recorded in 26 different constituencies

Of all the assembly elections till date, less than 20% polling was recorded in 26 different constituencies in various years. 15 of them were in 2002, 5 of them in 1996 and the remaining 6 in 2008. Five different constituencies polled less than 20% (Amirakadal, Batamaloo, Habbakadal, Khanyar & Zadibal) on all three occasions (1996, 2002 and 2008). Less than 30% polling was recorded in 44 different constituencies in various years.

Less than 30% polling in Lok Sabha elections on 10 different occasions

As far as Lok Sabha elections are concerned, less than 30% polling was recorded on 10 different occasions in the Lok Sabha elections of 1989, 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014. Except in 1989, on four different occasions, both Srinagar & Anantnag recorded less than 30% polling. The lowest in a Lok Sabha general election (5.07%) was recorded in Anantnag in 1989. In the same year, Baramulla recorded 5.48%. In both 2009 and 2014 elections, Srinagar & Anantnag both recorded more than 25% polling.