NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi Congress leader on Wed termed the withdrawal of the statehood status of J&K as a violation of constitutional rights of its people and assured voters that their vote to the INDIA alliance will restore their rights. Polling for the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections began at 7 am this morning amid tight security arrangements. “For the first time in the history of the country, the statehood of a state has been taken away and it has been made a union territory this is a violation of the constitutional rights of all of you, it is an insult to Jammu and Kashmir,” Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X. “Your every vote went to INDIA Will restore your rights will bring employment opportunities It will make women stronger Will bring you out of the ‘Injustice Era’ …will make Jammu and Kashmir prosperous again. Today, come out of your homes in large numbers and exercise your democratic right vote for INDIA,” he said. The Congress and the National Conference are fighting the polls in alliance. The PDP, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and People’s Conference, to name a few, are other parties in the fray for 90 Assembly seats. The voting will conclude at 6 pm. Long queues of voters were seen at polling stations in the morning. Meanwhile, Khalid Najib Suharwardy, the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference candidate for the Doda Assembly Constituency, called on the public to participate actively in the elections, emphasizing the significance of regaining special status for the region. He urged the people of the valley to engage in the electoral process to fight and gain back the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
