Kashmir Elections: Voter Turnout Reflects Public Discontent with BJP Policies

Record voter turnout in the Lok Sabha elections in Kashmir is a clear indication of the people’s dissatisfaction with the BJP’s “proxy government”, National Conference (NC) said on Monday.

“The electorate’s enthusiasm is a direct response to the BJP’s failure to meet the aspirations of the public over the last decade,” said NC Jammu president Rattan Lal Gupta.

He said the BJP should wake up from its “deep slumber” and concede the high voter turnout as a strong signal of the public’s anger and frustration towards the BJP’s “misrule” in Jammu and Kashmir. He said people’s active participation in the elections was a testament to their desire for change and need to have their voices heard.

“The people of Jammu and Kashmir have been facing problems due to unemployment, inflation and lack of basic amenities. Besides, the Assembly elections have not been conducted in Jammu and Kashmir so far. Their votes are a powerful statement against the unresponsiveness of the present administration and its disconnect with the public,” he said.

The NC leader said the government’s inability to address these critical issues had only fueled people’s demand for the restoration of true democracy. People had given 10 years to the BJP, but the saffron party miserably failed to meet their aspirations, resulting in an overall decline in the quality of life for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, he added.

Gupta further pointed out the BJP’s allegedly contradictory stance on democracy. “On one hand, the BJP claims to be the largest democratic party, yet on the other hand, it failed to field its candidates in the recently conducted Lok Sabha polls in the Kashmir valley,” he added.

The NC Jammu president expressed confidence that the “historic” turnout will yield a decisive result in favor of the INDIA alliance. “The outcome of this remarkable voter engagement will be evident on June 4, when the INDIA bloc emerges victorious,” he stated.