Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a mega rally in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district. The Prime Minister’s address was to gather support for the Bharatiya Janata Party faction for the upcoming Assembly elections. While addressing the crowd at the rally, PM said, “I will repay this love and blessings of yours by working twice and thrice as hard for you and the country.”
Hinting at the Congress party, NC and PDP, Modi said, “Three families schemed you… these families supported Corruption and land mafia…only those close to the three families got government jobs.” PM alleged that NC, PDP and Congress want to bring back Article 370, which will snatch reservation. He questioned, “Will you allow them to bring back an old era of fear?”
In a sharp attack on political rivals ahead of the Jammu and Kashmir elections, PM Modi claimed the upcoming polls will “decide the fate” of the region. He alleged that foreign powers have long targeted J&K, and following independence, the rise of “pariwarwad” (dynastic politics) had begun to undermine the state’s integrity.
“Those political parties you trusted did not care about your children,” Modi stated, accusing them of promoting only their own family members while ignoring the needs of the youth, who have been grappling with terrorism. He further added that these parties deliberately prevented new leadership from emerging in the region and pointed out that no panchayat elections were held after 2000, depriving the local population of democratic representation.
Polling in Jammu and Kashmir is set to take place in three phases, scheduled for September 18, September 25, and October 1. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is contesting all 43 Assembly seats in the Jammu division, with the vote counting slated for October 8.
This will be Jammu and Kashmir’s first Assembly election in a decade, and the first since the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A. The BJP, which secured all 25 seats in the Jammu region during the 2014 Assembly polls, is looking to solidify its stronghold. Last weekend, Home Minister Amit Shah held a rally in Jammu, followed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressing voters in Ramban district on Sunday.
