Parties make victory claims ahead of Assembly poll results

Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have started predicting their victory ahead of the counting of votes for Assembly polls on October 8.

BJP UT chief Ravinder Raina held a press briefing on Thursday in which he said that the saffron party is poised to win an absolute majority on October 8 and form a government on its own. “People have voted in favour of BJP in record numbers and the party is set to emerge as the single largest party on October 8. We are going to form the next government in J&K,” Raina said.

Raina highlighted the BJP’s “commitment” to fulfilling the vision of ‘Naya Kashmir’ as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

Reflecting on the voter turnout, Raina said, “The overwhelming participation reflects people’s endorsement of the BJP’s development initiatives over the past decade.” Regarding the chief ministerial candidate, Raina said, “The priority for us is the formation of a majority government by the BJP. The elections were conducted peacefully, reflecting the people’s victory in the mission of peace, development, progress, and prosperity.”

Meanwhile, the provincial president of National Conference (NC), Rattan Lal Gupta, in a statement expressed strong confidence that the NC-Congress alliance will form the next government in J&K. Gupta pointed to the significant rise in voter turnout in the three phases of the Assembly polls as a clear indication of the public’s desire for change. “The people of J&K are fed up and frustrated with the misrule during the last ten years under the BJP. There is a yearning for stable governance and the NC-Congress alliance is committed to fulfil that need,” said Gupta.

He emphasised that J&K requires a stable government to address the pressing issues faced by its citizens. “NC’s focus will be on delivering a government which works to make J&K drugs-free and corruption-free, ensuring a bright future for its inhabitants,” he said.

On the other hand, J&K Congress spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said the overwhelming participation of people in polling process is an evidence that people want a change. “The record-breaking turnout is not just a display of civic duty, but a resounding message that the people of J&K are ready for change. It is a clear reflection of their desire to reclaim their rights and restore the democratic fabric of the state,” Sharma said.