Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi Urge Voters in Jammu and Kashmir Elections
As the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir elections begins, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra encourages voters to exercise their rights, which she claims were taken away in the past decade.
“Statehood was snatched, the right to vote and elect a government was snatched, the identity and self-respect of Jammu and Kashmir was snatched. Today is the time to change this,” Priyanka Gandhi said in a post on X.
“Your every vote will strengthen Jammu and Kashmir and your rights. Use your right to vote in maximum numbers and make India win with a huge majority.”
Polling for the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections began at 7 am this morning amid tight security arrangements.
Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi termed the withdrawal of the statehood status of Jammu and Kashmir as a violation of the constitutional rights of its people and assured voters that their vote to the INDIA alliance would restore their rights.
“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,” Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X.
“Your every vote went to INDIA – Will restore your rights – will bring employment opportunities – It will make women stronger – Will bring you out of the ‘Injustice Era’ …will make Jammu and Kashmir prosperous again. Today, come out of your homes in large numbers and exercise your democratic right – vote for INDIA,” he said.
The Congress and the National Conference are fighting the polls in alliance. The PDP, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and People’s Conference, to name a few, are other parties in the fray for 90 Assembly seats. The voting will conclude at 6 pm. Long queues of voters were seen at polling stations in the morning.
J-K recorded 41.17 % turnout as of 1 pm in the first phase of polls. According to the ECI, Kishtwar recorded 56.86 per cent turnout followed by Doda 50.81 per cent, Ramban 49.68 per cent, Kulgam 39.91 per cent, Shopian 38.72 per cent, Anantnag 37.90 per cent and Pulwama 29.84 per cent.
Doubts Revealed
Priyanka Gandhi -: Priyanka Gandhi is a leader from the Congress party in India. She is the daughter of Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.
Rahul Gandhi -: Rahul Gandhi is also a leader from the Congress party and the brother of Priyanka Gandhi. He is the son of Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.
Jammu and Kashmir -: Jammu and Kashmir is a region in northern India. It used to be a state but is now a Union Territory.
Congress -: Congress is one of the major political parties in India. It has been in power many times since India became independent.
Statehood -: Statehood means being recognized as a state with its own government. Jammu and Kashmir used to be a state but now it is a Union Territory, which means it is directly controlled by the central government.
Constitutional rights -: Constitutional rights are the basic rights given to all citizens by the Constitution of India. These include the right to vote, freedom of speech, and equality before the law.
INDIA alliance -: The INDIA alliance is a group of political parties in India that have come together to contest elections. They work together to achieve common goals.
National Conference -: The National Conference is a political party in Jammu and Kashmir. It often works with the Congress party.
BJP -: BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party. It is one of the major political parties in India and is currently in power at the central government.
PDP -: PDP stands for People’s Democratic Party. It is a political party in Jammu and Kashmir.
Voter turnout -: Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who actually vote in an election. In this case, 41.17% of voters had voted by 1 pm.