Jammu & Kashmir elections: History in making, says CEC Rajiv Kumar

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on Wednesday (September 24, 2024) described the ongoing Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir as “history in the making”, saying people are standing in long queues outside polling booths at places where calls were once given to boycott the democratic exercise.

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Taking to reporters, in New Delhi, as the second phase of polling was under way on 26 seats in the Union Territory, Mr. Kumar said 100% CCTV coverage is available for this phase and one could see youngsters, women and senior citizens patiently standing in queues, awaiting their turn to exercise their franchise.

“It is a festival of democracy. Voting is taking place in areas where it did not take place earlier…. There were calls for disruption and boycott in the past…. It is a standing ovation for democracy,” the CEC said in the presence of fellow election commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu.

Mr. Kumar said history is in the making in Jammu and Kashmir and its impact will be felt for a long time as he lauded the enthusiastic participation of the voters in the poll process.