A day after the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly election saw a 59 per cent voter turnout, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to address a public rally in Srinagar on Thursday, September 19.
The rally is part of the BJP’s campaign to garner support for its candidates in the Valley, where the party has never won a seat before. Of the 47 seats in Kashmir, the BJP has fielded candidates in 19 constituencies, which is less than one-third of the total and fewer than in the last assembly elections held in 2014.
“I look forward to being among the people of Jammu and Kashmir today. Will address a rally in Srinagar and Katra. Yesterday’s turnout has shown that the people of J&K are very enthusiastic about the elections and are keen to make the poll process vibrant. I will speak about our development agenda and seek people’s blessings,” PM Modi wrote on X (formerly Twitter)
The BJP said that the rally is scheduled to take place at Srinagar’s Sher-e-Kashmir Park, with an expected attendance of 30,000 party workers and supporters.
Security forces in Srinagar and across Kashmir have been placed on heightened alert. Enhanced patrols and several checkpoints have been established to ensure there are no security lapses, said police officials.
Following the abrogation of Article 370, three BJP candidates won in the DDC elections, one each from Srinagar, Pulwama, and Kupwara districts, giving the party hope of improving its prospects in the region.
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi held a rally in Doda, Jammu region, marking the first visit by a PM to the area in 42 years. The upcoming rally in Srinagar will be the second during the ongoing assembly polls.
On September 18, a voter turnout of about 59 percent, the highest in the past seven elections was recorded in the first phase of assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
Over 2.3 million voters were eligible to cast the ballot to determine the fate of 219 candidates, including 90 independents. Kishtwar district recorded the highest 77 percent turnout, while Pulwama district witnessed the lowest 46 percent.
There are reports of some minor incidents of scuffle or argument from a few polling stations but “no serious incident” occurred that could have forced a repoll, he said.
