ANANTNAG,18-09-2024: Congress General Secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir expressed strong confidence that the people of Jammu and Kashmir will turn out in large numbers to vote for the restoration of statehood and the protection of their rights. Mir, who is running for office in the Dooru Assembly constituency in south Kashmir, emphasized that the primary goal of this election is to challenge the “Delhi rule” that has been in place for the past decade.
After casting his vote, Mir remarked, “My intent today is to change the governance imposed by Delhi on Jammu and Kashmir over the past ten years. Our primary objective is to ensure that Jammu and Kashmir prospers and its people are content.” He added that voters will use their ballots to advocate for the restoration of statehood, as well as to safeguard their land and employment rights.
Voting began on Wednesday for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, marking the first such electoral exercise since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. In this initial phase, 24 constituencies across seven districts of the Union Territory are participating in the election amid stringent security measures.
This assembly election is significant as it is the first since Jammu and Kashmir was reconstituted as a Union Territory on August 5, 2019, following the abrogation of Article 370, which had granted the region special status. The state was bifurcated into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
The first phase of the elections covers seven districts on either side of the Pir Panjal mountain range, with further polling scheduled for September 25 and October 1. The results will be announced on October 8. This election is notable for being the first assembly election in a decade and represents a critical moment in Jammu and Kashmir’s political landscape.