With just one phase of voting remaining in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections 2024 and the polling for all phases of Haryana yet to take place on October 5, political parties are making their last efforts to woo the public and get votes in their favour in the two states where Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) top contenders in both polls along with J&K's Peoples Democratic Party and National Conference (NC).
The Phase 2 voting in Jammu and Kashmir elections, happening for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, took place on September 25 and saw a voter turnout of over 57 per cent. The remaining phase for the Jammu and Kashmir elections 2024 will take place on October 1, while counting of votes is scheduled for October 8, coinciding with that of Haryana polls.
In Haryana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a campaign spree ahead of the October 5 voting for all 90 seats.
J&K, Haryana Elections Top Updates
J&K Phase 2 Voting Turnout: Jammu and Kashmir recorded a turnout of over 57 per cent in the second phase of voting for the assembly elections, taking place for the first time since 2014 and also the first polls in the union territory since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, a move that stripped it off its special status and also ceased its existence as a state. A total 26 seats across six districts voted in the second phase.
District-wise Turnout In Phase 2
Budgam: 62.98%
Ganderbal: 62.51%
Poonch: 73.80%
Rajouri: 70.95%
Reasi: 74.70%
Srinagar: 29.81%
PM Modi Slams Congress In Haryana Tour: The Congress spends most of its time infighting and every child in Haryana is aware of it, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday while asserting the people have decided to give one more chance to the BJP to serve the state. Interacting with Haryana BJP workers through the NaMo app, he discussed fieldwork at the booth level for the upcoming state polls and encouraged them to devise a strategy for the party to win the election. Alleging the Congress has failed as an opposition in the past 10 years, PM Modi claimed the grand old party's maximum time goes into infighting and taking on each other. Every child in Haryana is aware of the grand old party's internal strife, the prime minister said.
PM Modi on Wednesday also launched a blistering attack on the Congress saying if it comes to power in Haryana even by mistake, stability and development will be at stake because of its "infighting" and this will ruin the state. Addressing a poll rally in Gohana in this district for the October 5 assembly polls, he also lashed out at the Congress over the issue of reservation, alleging opposing reservation and and hatred towards it are in its DNA.
Rahul Gandhi Also In Haryana: Addressing a poll rally in Haryana on Thursday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP government of destroying state. He said Congress would sweep assembly elections.
PM Modi "systematically" ended the employment system in the country, Rahul Gandhi said on Thursday while attacking BJP over unemployment issue.
In an election rally in Jammu on Wednesday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said restoration of statehood was the "right" of people of Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that the INDIA bloc will hit the road and use "full force" in Parliament and outside if the Centre fails to restore it after assembly polls. Rahul Gandhi said the 2019 decision to bifurcate the erstwhile state into two Union Territories (UTs) was "a grave injustice" to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Kangana Ranaut's U-turn On Farm Laws Comments: BJP MP Kangana Ranaut on Wednesday once again found herself in the middle of a political row after backtracking from her comments asking for the three farm laws repealed in 2021 to be brought back. This comes days after the BJP distanced itself from her remarks and the Congress seeking action against her.
In June, barely weeks after she was elected to Parliament, Ranaut was slapped at the Chandigarh airport by a female Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) constable, who had said she was irked by the BJP leader's statements on the farmer protests.
In 2020, as the farmers' protests were picking up, she allegedly misidentified a woman farmer from Punjab and called her Bilkis Bano.
Amit Shah In Jammu: Addressing a rally in Jammu's Chenani, terrorism has been buried and won't be allowed to stage a comeback. Promising a terror-free region under the BJP regime, Amit Shah alleged that the National Conference-Congress alliance would impose Pakistan's agenda if it comes to power. Shah said whoever spreads terror in Jammu and Kashmir will get his answer at the the gallows. "...They want to release stone pelters and terrorists. Omar Abdullah gave up these dreams because you cannot do it. It is the duty of courts and we have enforced such laws that nobody will dare to hurl a stone anymore,” Shah said.
