Union Minister JP Nadda Responds to Omar Abdullah’s Claims on Voter Turnout in Jammu and Kashmir Elections
Union Minister JP Nadda has responded to National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah’s statement blaming the central government for the ‘lower voter turnout’ in the second phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. Nadda denied Abdullah’s claim, stating, “he is bad in mathematics.”
Speaking at a press conference, Nadda said, “If one wants to see the poll percentage, it used to be 6 to 8 per cent but today it is 58 to 60 per cent. If he was bad in mathematics, what could I do? There was 60 per cent voting in the first phase and 58 per cent in the second phase.”
On Thursday, Omar Abdullah had said that the central government is ‘partially responsible’ for the ‘lower voter turnout’. He mentioned, “I was hoping for a little more turnout. Because there was no call for the boycott. There were no attacks. There was no attempt to suppress and threaten the voters. But I think the central government is also partially responsible for this situation. They have tried to present high turnout as a sign of normalcy at different places.”
The second phase of J-K assembly polls recorded a turnout of 57.31 per cent, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI). The ECI reported that Budgam recorded 62.98 percent voter turnout, Ganderbal 62.51 percent, Poonch 73.80 percent, Rajouri 70.95 percent, Reasi 74.70 percent, and Srinagar 29.81 percent.
Polling was conducted across six districts: Budgam, Ganderbal, Poonch, and the Jammu regions of Rajouri, Reasi, and Srinagar. A total of 25.78 lakh electors were eligible to cast votes to decide the fate of 239 candidates in the second phase. The first phase of assembly polls was held on September 18. The third and final phase of voting will take place on October 1, with the counting of votes scheduled for October 8. These elections are the first since the abrogation of Article 370.
Doubts Revealed
Union Minister -: A Union Minister is a person who is in charge of a specific department in the central government of India. They help make important decisions for the country.
JP Nadda -: JP Nadda is a politician in India who is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He is currently serving as the Union Minister.
Omar Abdullah -: Omar Abdullah is an Indian politician and the Vice President of the National Conference, a political party in Jammu and Kashmir.
National Conference -: The National Conference is a political party in Jammu and Kashmir. It is one of the oldest and most prominent parties in the region.
Voter Turnout -: Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who actually cast their vote in an election. It shows how many people participated in choosing their leaders.
Jammu and Kashmir -: Jammu and Kashmir is a region in northern India. It has its own special status and has been the focus of political and territorial disputes.
Assembly Elections -: Assembly elections are held to choose representatives for the legislative assembly of a state. These representatives make laws and decisions for the state.
Abrogation of Article 370 -: The abrogation of Article 370 happened in 2019 when the Indian government removed the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir. This meant that the region would follow the same laws as the rest of India.
