In the third and final phase of the 2024 assembly elections that Jammu and Kashmir votes in today-October 1, Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) president Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, expresses hope for a new political direction. As many as 39 lakh voters will cast their ballots across 40 assembly constituencies, 24 in Jammu and 16 in Kashmir. The polling process began at 7 am and will run up to 7 pm as fate is decided for 415 candidates who are to be elected in the state.
Engineer Rashid Speaks About Voter Turnout
Commenting on the rise in voting turnout, Engineer Rashid said that the increased voting percentage was because of the people who wanted change and were frustrated with the previous governance. "The voting percentage has increased because people have become victims of state repression. Since the PDP came into power in 2014, the voice of the people has been suppressed. Now they want to express their feelings through democratic means," stated Rashid. He emphasized that people in Kashmir have always remained believers in democracy and expect that this election may bring them a time of reconciliation.
Rashid Rejects Forming Alliances
Talking to the media from Kupwara, Rashid had once again clarified that he has no plans to form alliances with parties of the stature like the BJP. "Why would I join hands with the BJP? Power is a small thing for me. I was an independent MLA, and if power were my goal, I could have joined hands with PM Modi," he said. For Rashid, the ultimate concern remains the violence in Kashmir, and he has lamented that his demands to put a halt to the killings are still not being attended to. In short, he has negated the mainstream parties such as PDP, JKNC, INC, and BJP because they only treat voters as VVIPs after the elections, not facing the inner issues of Kashmiris.
AIP As A Viable Alternative
Looking ahead, Rashid presented a viewpoint that no party would leave the election with even more than 25 seats; yet, he was keeping the hopes high for AIP's performance. "If I had only one more week to campaign, we could have come up with 35-40 seats," he claimed. Still, he displayed confidence that the Awami Ittehad Party will going to become a viable alternative and was working towards the amelioration of Kashmiris and driving hard towards establishing permanent peace.
5,060 Polling Stations Erected
The Election Commission of India has earmarked 5,060 polling stations in the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Sensitive areas in the Valley have been highly strengthened security-wise for the overall safety and smooth conduct of the elections. It's do or die for all political parties as they await the conclusion of this crucial round.