All eyes are on Jammu and Kashmir as the vote counting for the Assembly elections, held in three phases, began at 8 a.m. This marks the first Assembly election in the region since it became a Union Territory. The voter turnout stood at 63.45 percent, slightly lower than the 65.52 percent recorded in the 2014 elections. According to official Election Commission trends, BJP candidate Sham Lal Sharma is leading in the Jammu North constituency. Counting is ongoing for all 90 Assembly seats. Official Election Commission trends show the BJP leading in 3 constituencies, while the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) is leading in 1 constituency.
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The 2014 J-K Assembly elections were among the most competitive in a decade for the then state. The People's Democratic Party (PDP) emerged as the single-largest party with 28 seats, all from the Kashmir region, though it fell short of the majority mark of 44 in the 87-member House. The BJP followed closely with 25 seats, all from the Jammu region, and subsequently formed a coalition government with the PDP. The Farooq Abdullah-led National Conference (NC) secured 15 seats, while the Congress, which had been an NC ally until the 2014 Lok Sabha elections earlier that year, won 12 seats.