Congress Leads Development Charge in Banihal, Says Candidate Vikar Rasool Wani

Congress candidate Vikar Rasool Wani claims only Congress has developed Banihal. He criticizes BJP’s governance, praises the Supreme Court for ordering elections, and vows further development and employment opportunities. Voter turnout in Jammu and Kashmir elections was 26.72% as of 11 am.

Vikar Rasool Wani, Congress candidate from Banihal constituency in Ramban district, asserted on Wednesday that only the Congress has executed developmental projects in the region and intends to continue doing so in the future. Wani criticized both the National Conference (NC) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) for their lack of development contributions.

Speaking to ANI, Wani stated, "All the work here has been done by the Congress party. You will not find any work of the National Conference and PDP in the Banihal Assembly constituency, it is the Congress party that has worked and it is the Congress party that will work here." He emphasized employment as a major issue and pledged to create job opportunities for the locals.

Wani took a strong stance against the BJP, accusing it of creating an "emergency-like situation" in the region, but expressed gratitude to the Supreme Court for mandating elections in Jammu and Kashmir. "This is my third assembly election. Before this, I served as the Councillor and Chairman of this area. The BJP snatched away our democratic system, but we are grateful to the Supreme Court for ensuring elections," said Wani.

The Congress and NC, although in an alliance, have fielded separate candidates from Banihal. The NC's Sajad Shaheen, PDP's Imtiaz Ahmed Shan, and BJP's Mohammad Saleem Bhat are contesting for the same seat. The Election Commission reported a 26.72% voter turnout as of 11 am.

The Election Commission reported constituency-specific turnout with Kishtwar at 32.69%, Doda at 32.20%, and Ramban at 31.25%. Voting commenced at 7 am and will conclude at 6 pm, spanning 24 assembly constituencies in the Union Territory across the Kashmir and Jammu regions.

The subsequent phases of voting will be held on September 25 and October 1, with vote counting scheduled for October 8. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)