Success of PM Modi’s policies: Jitendra Singh

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday said the enthusiastic participation of people in the Assembly polls reflects the success of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies and “true mainstreaming” of democracy in the Union territory.

Singh, who represents Udhampur parliamentary constituency, cast his vote at Trikuta Nagar polling station here this morning. “We are thankful to the prime minister and the BJP leadership for providing such a pleasant and festive atmosphere (for voting). This type of atmosphere is being witnessed for the first time after decades and this is the true mainstreaming of the democracy in J&K,” the Union minister of state in the PMO said.

The senior BJP leader said people are coming out to vote in large numbers like any other part of the country. “You should appreciate that the this is the first election happening in J&K in the past 35 years where there is no strike call from Pakistan, no boycott campaign run by separatists, no separatist slogan…this is why I am terming this election as true mainstreaming of democracy,” Singh said.

The minister said the tenure of the assembly will be of five years instead of six years. “The previous rulers, under the pretext of Article 370, kept the tenure of the Assembly at six years,” he said. Singh said the past 10 years were used by the BJP-led government to strengthen grassroot democracy in the UT.