Union Home Minister Amit Shah lauded the remarkable surge in the voter turnout in Baramulla Lok Sabha polling which concluded on Monday.
Taking to social media platform X, Amit Shah called it a momentous occasion. He said, “A momentous occasion for Kashmir! Today, Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency registered an approximately 20% higher voter turnout compared to the last Lok Sabha elections.”
Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, he stated that the government’s efforts towards peace and development have strengthened people's trust in democracy. As per Shah, “Now it goes without saying that the Modi government's endeavours to ensure peace and development in Kashmir have strengthened people's trust in democracy.”
Moreover, batting for the government’s decision to abrogate Article 370 and targeting the opposition, Shah said, “It is a befitting reply to those who ask what has changed after the abrogation of Article 370.”
Handwara assembly segment records highest 72.04 per cent turnout
Notably, the Baramulla Lok Sabha went to polls on Monday and recorded a voter turnout of 58.17 per cent. This is the highest turnout in the constituency in the last 40 years. Also the voter turnout, as stated by Union Hoime Minister, is 20 per cent higher than what it was recorded in last election in 2019. In 2019, the voter turnout in Baramulla Lok Sabha seat was 34.60 per cent.
Among the 18 assembly segments under Baramulla, the highest turnout was recorded in Handwara with 72.04 per cent. Jammu and Kashmir, which has five Lok Sabha seats went to polls in all the five phases with one seat in each phase. Earlier in the fifth phase, Srinagar also registered a record-breaking turnout of 38.49 per cent, the highest since 1996.
The prominent candidates in the fray in Baramulla are Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) leader and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Jammu and Kashmir People Conference (JKPC) leader Sajad Gani Lone, Independent candidate Engineer Abdul Rashid Sheikh and Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party's (JKPDP) Mir Mohammad Fayaz. The results of the polling will be declared on June 4.
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