Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address poll rallies in capital Srinagar and Katra on September 19, a day after the first phase of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir saw an impressive turnout of 61.1 percent.
The three-phase elections are the first to be held after the abrogation of Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and 10 years after the previous assembly polls.
In Srinagar, the rally at Sher-e-Kashmir Park is vital to BJP’s campaign to build support in the Valley, where it has struggled to gain a foothold. Around 30,000 party workers and supporters are expected to attend the event, BJP workers said.
The BJP has fielded candidates in 19 of the 47 constituencies in Kashmir. Modi, who has already held a rally in Doda, will use this opportunity to highlight BJP’s development agenda and seek support from the voters.
In a statement on X, Modi expressed happiness over high voter turnout, which he said signalled public interest in the electoral process.
Security beefed up
Security has been heightened in Srinagar and across Kashmir, with increased patrols and checkpoints to ensure safety during the rally, police officials said.
In the district development council (DDC) elections following the abrogation of Article 370, the BJP secured three seats, one each in Srinagar, Pulwama, and Kupwara districts, bolstering hopes for an improved performance in the assembly elections.
In the first phase, 24 of the 90 assembly seats went to the polls. The Inderwal constituency reported the highest turnout of 82.16 percent and Tral the lowest at 43.2 percent. As many as 219 candidates, including 90 independents, were in the fray.
The remaining two phases will be held on September 25 and October 1 and the counting of the votes will be done on October 8.
(with inputs from agencies)
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