PM Modi Urges Jammu & Kashmir to ‘Vote in Large Numbers’

GG News Bureau
Jammu, 18th Sept. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on the people of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday to participate actively in the assembly elections, which commenced on Wednesday for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370.

In a message posted on X (formerly Twitter), PM Modi urged residents of constituencies voting in the first phase to cast their ballots in large numbers, describing the elections as a “festival of democracy.” He particularly encouraged young and first-time voters to exercise their right to vote.

This election marks the first assembly poll in Jammu and Kashmir since its reorganization into a Union Territory on August 5, 2019. The first phase covers 24 constituencies across seven districts of the Union Territory, spanning both sides of the Pir Panjal mountain range.

More than 23 lakh voters will determine the outcome for 219 candidates, including 90 Independents, vying for seats in the 24 assembly segments—eight in the Jammu region and 16 in the Kashmir valley.

The remaining two phases of the elections are scheduled for September 25 and October 1, with vote counting to take place on October 8.