India General Elections 2024: High voter turnout indicative of declining dynastic politics in Jammu and Kashmir, says Union Minister Jitendra Singh

Jitendra Singh. Pic/PTI

In a veiled dig at Peoples Democratic Party and National Conference amid the India General Elections 2024, Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday said that high voter turnout in Jammu Kashmir is pointing towards a decline in the dynastic politics in the Union Territory, reported ANI.

Jitendra Singh credited the Centre's initiatives for creating an atmosphere that has resulted in increased voter turnout in the Union Territory.

"Credit goes to the Centre for having created a value that has enabled such a huge voter turnout which was mostly unimaginable till a few years ago as far as officially released. Even in the Anantnag-Rajouri seat, even by midday, the polling was almost as much or higher than the national average. And this is also I think, of indication of the fact that the election so far in the Kashmir Valley, particularly the last two-three decades are happening happening in a very limited atmosphere," Jitendra Singh told ANI.

Jitendra Singh further said that the limited voter turnout in the previous elections in the Valley favoured "dynastic political parties" here.

"Election after election through a limited voter turnout, it did not predict the representative character of the member who was elected. But perhaps it suited the dynastic political parties of Kashmir Valley because it enabled them to continue their dynasty rule generation after generation. So to that extent, I would rather say in a single sentence that Prime Minister Modi has given me the true sense of democracy," Singh said.

"High voter turnout indicative of declining dynastic politics in Jammu and Kashmir," he added.

Union Minister further credited Prime Minister Modi after District Development Councils were set up in Jammu and Kashmir.

"It was Prime Minister Modi, who for the first time introduced District Development Councils in between which were not there despite the fact that they will they're in every other state of the country, but maybe the ruling parties did not find it to their interest, even though they spoke about autonomy," Singh said.

This is the first general election in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019.

Election Commission on Saturday said that Anantnag-Rajouri Parliamentary Constituency (PC) has "shattered voter turnout records" in the sixth phase of the India General Elections 2024.

"After record voter turnouts in Srinagar and Baramulla in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Anantnag-Rajouri Parliamentary Constituency too has shattered voter turnout records, with 51.35 per cent recorded at 5 pm in the districts of Anantnag, Poonch, Kulgam and districts of Rajouri and Shopian partially, the highest since 1989 ie in 35 years," the poll body said in a release.

In the fifth phase, the Baramulla parliamentary constituency of Jammu and Kashmir recorded a voter turnout of 55.79 per cent. As per the ECI, this is the highest voter turnout recorded in the constituency in the last 8 Lok Sabha elections in 35 years.

Prior to this, the Srinagar constituency also recorded its highest voter turnout since 199 with over 38 per cent.

The voting in Jammu and Kashmir is being held in five phases. The counting of votes for all Lok Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere has been scheduled for June 4.

(With inputs from ANI)