NEW DELHI: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday urged the people of Jammu and Kashmir to actively participate in the first phase of polling. He asked them to cast their votes in support of the INDIA bloc, emphasising the importance of exercising their democratic rights.
In a post on X, Gandhi criticised the abrogation of Article 370.
"My brothers and sisters of Jammu and Kashmir, today the first phase of voting is taking place in the state.
For the first time in the history of the country, the statehood of a state has been taken away and it has been made a union territory - this is a violation of the constitutional rights of all of you, it is an insult to Jammu and Kashmir," he said in a post on X.
Gandhi further emphasised that each vote for the INDIA bloc would contribute to the restoration of rights, the creation of employment opportunities, the empowerment of women, and the end of the 'injustice era.'
He expressed his belief that these votes would pave the way for Jammu and Kashmir to regain its prosperity.
In his concluding remarks, Gandhi encouraged the people to leave their homes in large numbers and exercise their democratic rights by voting for INDIA.
The voting process, which commenced at 7 am, will conclude at 6 pm today. In the first phase of elections, 24 Assembly constituencies across Jammu and Kashmir, including 16 seats in the Kashmir region and 8 seats in the Jammu region, are participating in the polls.
A total of 486 candidates had submitted their nomination papers to the respective returning officers in 40 Assembly constituencies by the deadline of September 12. During the scrutiny held on September 13, the nomination papers of 449 candidates were deemed valid. Following the withdrawal of 34 candidates, 415 candidates remain in the final electoral fray for phase 3.
Consequently, a total of 873 candidates will be contesting in the Assembly elections for 90 assembly constituencies. This includes 219 candidates for 24 assembly seats in the first phase, 239 candidates for 26 seats in the second phase, and 415 candidates for 40 seats in the final phase, according to an official.
The second and third phases of the Assembly elections are scheduled to take place on September 25 and October 1, respectively. The counting of votes will be conducted on October 8.
These Assembly elections mark the first such polls in the region following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. Various political parties, including the Congress and the National Conference, who are fighting the polls in alliance, as well as the PDP, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and People's Conference, among others, are vying for the 90 Assembly seats.
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