‘I know which party is winning at national-level’
Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, May 21: Former Chief Minister and Chairman of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), Ghulam Nabi Azad, today expressed optimism for a 70-80 percent voter turnout in South Kashmir on May 25, following record-breaking voter participation in North Kashmir.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO
Speaking to media persons in South Kashmir’s Anantnag, Azad emphasized that higher voter turnout not only satisfies the voters but also instils a greater sense of responsibility in the victorious candidate.
“I had earlier stated that I hope North Kashmir will see a voter turnout of 60-70 percent. I am now hopeful for the same in South Kashmir, where the polling percentage must remain around 70-80 percent, irrespective of who wins,” he said.
Azad said that he wants more and more people to come out to vote and move towards mainstream politics. “The Kashmir Valley has gone backwards in the last few decades due to militancy. To bring it out of this, there is a need for everyone to make collective efforts,” he added.
“A higher voter turnout will satisfy both the people and the candidates. The candidate who wins will have a greater sense of responsibility; otherwise, a low percentage of votes satisfies neither the candidate nor the people,” he added.
He continued, “more voting enables people to hold the winning candidate accountable, and the candidates then discharge their duties with more responsibility and accountability.”
With the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat set for polling on May 25, after a previous postponement and a recent attack on tourists and a former sarpanch who succumbed to his injuries—Azad asserted that these incidents of violence would not affect the polling.
“I don’t think these incidents will affect the polling. I am hopeful for a larger turnout here. The elections have been ongoing for nearly three months; smaller incidents should not impact the process,” he stated.
“Earlier, when the situation was not conducive, conducting elections was difficult, and when they were held, they were almost meaningless. But today, voter turnout has reached 60 percent,” he remarked.
Regarding the national-level election results, the former Chief Minister, describing himself as “neutral,” claimed that he knows which party will win but refrained from naming any party beforehand.
He added, “I know which party is getting the majority, but what needs to be seen is the proportion of the same, which is important; it is not important for that party, but for the country as a whole for progress, development and stability.”
On the claims of ‘400 paar’, Azad said that in elections, no party says that they cannot achieve anything, because that would send a negative message.
“Even when I was in Congress, we also used to exaggerate the numbers. Parties do that, and in the same way, both the national groups, NDA and the INDIA block, are claiming to win more seats. But the results will be in front of us on June 4.”
Follow our WhatsApp channel
