J-K BJP chief casts vote in Nowshera, says party will win

Jammu, Sep 25: Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina cast his vote Wednesday morning in his Nowshera assembly constituency in Rajouri district and expressed confidence the party will form the government in the union territory.

People will overwhelmingly vote for peace and development undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government over the last decade, he said.

People would set new voter turnout records in the second phase of elections in Jammu and Kashmir and make democracy victorious, the BJP leader said after casting his vote at the Lamberi polling station set up at a primary school in Nowshera.

"The BJP will win with a thumping majority and form the government in Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP will also register a victory from the Nowshera seat and contribute to the party's victory," he said.

Raina said that people are overwhelmingly voting for the peace, progress, prosperity, and development ensured by PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over the past 10 years.

"There is peace on the borders which used to see daily firing and shelling, disrupting the normal life of lakhs of border residents. There is new connectivity to far-flung and rural areas through tunnels, roads, and bridges. Social schemes have been implemented. Better infrastructure in all sectors of life have been put in place," he said.

Ahead of polling in the constituency, the BJP candidate from the seat visited Thakurdwara Temple in Nowshera to pay obeisance to the deity and seek blessing.

"It is a big day for Jammu and Kashmir and democracy. Today, voting will be conducted for the second phase. I pray for the betterment and bright future of Jammu and Kashmir," he said. "I hope there is a good voter turnout and new voting records are set. It is a victory for democracy in Jammu and Kashmir."

Raina, seeking a re-election from the Nowshera assembly constituency, faces a major challenge from his former party colleague Surinder Choudhary, a former MLC. Choudhary is contesting the elections on a National Conference (NC) ticket and enjoys Congress support.

There are three other candidates in the fray from the Nowshera constituency, including from the PDP and the BSP.

The Nowshera constituency is among the 11 assembly segments in the Rajouri, Poonch, and Reasi districts of the Jammu region going to the polls in the second phase, along with 15 seats from the central Kashmir districts of Srinagar, Ganderbal, and Budgam today. A total of 239 candidates are contesting from these 26 constituencies.

All eyes are set on this seat won by Raina in the 2014 assembly polls when he defeated his nearest rival, Surinder Choudhary, then a PDP member, by over 9,500 votes. It was the first time the BJP won the seat.

Nowshera had traditionally remained a Congress bastion who won it for eight consecutive terms from 1962 to 2002 before losing the seat to the NC in the 2008 elections.

Long queues are seen at various polling stations in Rajouri, Poonch, and Reasi districts, as people are coming out in large numbers to vote enthusiastically.

"We are happy to vote in these elections, which are taking place after 10 long years," said Arvind Kumar, a voter who cast his vote at the Nai Basti polling station in Reasi district.

Kumar, who stood in line since 6 am with family members, said they are voting for peace, security, and development of the state.