High voter turnout validates Article 370 abrogation: Amit Shah

Srinagar, May 17: Union Home Minister Amit Shah Friday said that the rise in voter turnout from 14 percent in the past to nearly 40 percent (37.99 percent) now in the Srinagar constituency was the greatest testament to the success of the abrogation of Article 370.

“I would like to tell those who raise questions on the abrogation of Article 370 that the rise in the voter turnout from 14 percent in the past to nearly 40 percent (37.99 percent) in Srinagar is the greatest testament to the success of the decision,” Shah told ANI.

He said that while people in Kashmir used to shout slogans for boycotting elections, all leaders of extremist groups exercised their franchise in the elections this year.

“All leaders of extremist groups voted. It does not matter to whom they vote. That is their right. But at least, they were part of the democratic process. Earlier slogans were shouted to boycott elections. Today elections were held peacefully,” the Union Minister said.

Noting that there was no instance of violence in Srinagar during the polls, Shah said, “Not even a baton was wielded. There was no instance of rigging. Voting was held patiently, with no instance of violence from any political party. This shows that change is visible.”

Shah also pointed out that, compared to the usual three percent of voter turnout among displaced Kashmiri Pandits, more than 40 percent of them voted in the Lok Sabha elections in Srinagar.

“For the first time, more than 40 percent of the displaced Kashmiri Pandits voted in the elections. Till today, the figure has never crossed 3 percent. This shows that people are now confident in themselves and believe in democracy,” the senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said.

The Srinagar constituency, which saw the first general election after the abrogation of Article 370 in J&K, recorded 37.99 percent voting, according to the Information and PR Department of Jammu and Kashmir. This is the highest voter turnout in several decades.

The voter turnout in Srinagar was 40.94 percent in 1996, 30.06 percent in 1998, 11.93 percent in 1999, 18.57 percent in 2004, 25.55 percent in 2009, 25.86 percent in 2014, and 14.43 percent in 2019.