‘Jammu and Kashmir elections among three families and youth’: PM Modi

Jammu|Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday raised issues like nepotism, terrorism, stone pelting, Kashmiri Pandits and Article 370 during the election campaign for BJP candidates in Jammu and Kashmir and tried to corner the opposition.

Voting will be held on 24 assembly seats under the first phase on September 18 in the union territory. PM Modi, while addressing an election rally in Doda here, targeted Congress, National Conference and PDP. He said, “This time the elections to be held in Jammu and Kashmir are between three families and the youth of Jammu and Kashmir”.

The Prime Minister said that one family belongs to Congress, one to National Conference and one to PDP. What these three families have done to the people together in Jammu and Kashmir is “no less than a sin”. He said that the change that has taken place here in the last 10 years is no less than a dream. Terrorism is now counting its last breaths. This election to be held in Jammu and Kashmir will decide the fate here.

Referring to the old situation in Jammu and Kashmir, PM Modi said, “You remember the time when undeclared curfew was imposed here as soon as the day ended”. The situation was such that even the Home Minister of the Congress Central Government was afraid of going to Lal Chowk. Today, a new Jammu and Kashmir is being formed from the stones which were earlier raised to throw at the police and army

Voting in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases. Voting for the first phase will take place on 18 September, for the second phase on 25 September and for the third and final phase on 1 October. The election results will be announced on 8 October.

According to the Election Commission, there are 87.09 lakh voters in 90 constituencies in the Union Territory. Of these, 42.6 lakh are women. The number of young first-time voters here is 3.71 lakh while there are a total of 20.7 lakh young voters, aged between 20 and 29 years.