Historic Voter Turnout in Jammu and Kashmir Elections Under PM Modi: Minister Jitendra Singh Highlights Fair Polling

Union Minister Jitendra Singh attributes the high voter turnout and peaceful conduct of elections in Jammu and Kashmir to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. He criticizes Rahul Gandhi for remarks abroad and highlights past electoral malpractices in the region.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh stated on Saturday that elections in Jammu and Kashmir, previously characterized by low voter turnout and shop closures in Srinagar due to boycott calls, are now being conducted fairly under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

Singh also criticized Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for his international trips, where he targets the Indian government. He accused Gandhi and mainstream parties like the Congress, Peoples Democratic Party, and National Conference of having ties with Islamabad and the Pakistani government. According to Singh, previous polls in J&K often saw calls for boycotts from Pakistan, leading to low voter percentages; under Modi, these practices have ended.

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections are currently underway with the first phase of voting held on September 18. A notable voter turnout of 61.13 percent was recorded in the first phase. The subsequent phases are on September 25 and October 1, with vote counting on October 8. The elections are the first since the abrogation of Article 370 and are being held after a decade-long gap.

(With inputs from agencies.)