Ghulam Nabi Azad Calls for High Voter Turnout in Jammu and Kashmir Elections

Ghulam Nabi Azad, chairman of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party, urged voters to participate actively in the third phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. He highlighted unemployment as a critical issue ignored by political parties and emphasized the importance of voter participation in this decade-long-awaited election.

Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday urged voters to participate actively in the third and final phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections.

Azad, one of the early voters, highlighted unemployment as the most pressing issue in the union territory, criticizing both regional and national parties for neglecting it.

The third phase of polling, spanning 40 assembly segments across seven districts including Jammu, Udhampur, Kathua, Samba, Baramulla, Bandipora, and Kupwara, started at 7 am and continued till 6 pm.

At Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Gandhi Nagar, Azad cast his vote early in the morning, urging every eligible voter to participate in this pivotal election, which comes after a 10-year gap.

Azad addressed the first-time eligible voters from communities like West Pakistani refugees, Valmikis, and the Gorkha community post-Article 370 abrogation, stressing that their longstanding issues were often used by political parties for personal gain.

He pointed out that unemployment, along with statehood and Article 35A, remains a significant concern affecting all religions and youth futures in the region.

Azad criticized political parties for failing to highlight unemployment during their campaigns and reiterated that the power ultimately lies in the hands of the voters, not the parties.

The former chief minister concluded by reinforcing the role of the electorate in shaping the future political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir.

(With inputs from agencies.)