Will Jammu and Kashmir Choose Peace and Progress? Voter Insights Inside !

Amit Shah made the decision to remove Article 370 on August 5, 2019, which brought about a historic change in Jammu and Kashmir. No matter what the election results are, some people are saying that this is a referendum on what the Kashmiris want and what the central government desires. I completely disagree with this notion. The referendum is about the fact that the Government of India has restored democracy there, and alongside restoring democracy, it has sent a message to the people that if they want a good future and peace in this region, they should actively participate in this democratic celebration.

The people of Jammu and Kashmir have demonstrated this by casting their votes. I would like to point out that in the areas where voting took place today, there are 26 assembly seats, with voting happening across six districts—15 in the Valley and 11 in the Jammu region. By 5 PM, the voter turnout had reached 54% in the first phase. You may recall that on the 18th, the voter turnout was 61%. The figures by 5 PM were 54%, and voting was set to continue until 7 PM. I believe the turnout may not surpass the previous phase, and the recent Lok Sabha elections had a higher turnout.

Amit Shah’s planning appears to be successful concerning Jammu and Kashmir. As you all know, the BJP has influence in the Jammu region, where it faces competition from Congress. There is a coalition between Congress and the National Conference, and while there are some BJP representatives in the Valley, there are also a few independents. The candidates Amit Shah has fielded are competing against the PDP, and the votes are getting split among the National Conference and others. The voter turnout in the assembly seats in the Valley is relatively low, and these indicators clearly show that Amit Shah’s master plan, which has been in motion since 2019, is now coming to fruition.

The biggest victims of this situation are expected to be Omar Abdullah and the areas where voting took place today. In the Reasi district, for instance, the voter turnout reached 71.5% by the evening, while only 27.3% turnout was recorded in Srinagar by 5 PM. The districts in Jammu where voting occurred today include Surankote, Poonch, Haveli, and Reasi, all of which recorded more than 50% turnout by noon, and by the evening, it had crossed 70-80%.

I do not know whether this is leaning towards the BJP or Congress, but one thing is certain: there is a significant enthusiasm among voters, and the voting patterns in the Jammu region are different from those in Srinagar, making it impossible to mix the two.

The third and final phase of voting will take place on October 1, with results being announced on October 8. I believe that very few people have discussed or provided information regarding the fact that in the state where the Vaishno Devi temple is located in Katra, there was previously no assembly seat allocated in the name of Maa Vaishno Devi. Amit Shah has done a significant job by ensuring that an assembly seat is now named after Maa Vaishno Devi.

Such initiatives are commendable, and I have always admired Amit Shah for thinking outside the box and executing plans with great precision. The areas in Jammu where I’m talking about have seen a voting percentage of around 70-80%...