Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, oct 07:
On the eve of the counting of votes for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls, top leaders of the Congress-NC alliance, the BJP and the PDP have expressed confidence in forming the next government in the Union Territory.
While the Congress and the National Conference, who formed a pre-poll alliance, claimed they would cross the magical figure of 46 in the 90-member House on their own, the BJP was relying on independent candidates and the PDP said no secular government was possible in Jammu and Kashmir without its support.
Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina said his party would emerge as the single largest, securing 35 seats. With the help of independents and like-minded groups, the BJP would cross the majority mark, he said.
“We are confident of winning 35 seats in Jammu and Kashmir and with the support of independents and like-minded groups, who will secure around 15 seats, we will surpass the majority mark,” Raina told reporters.
“The people have voted for us, endorsing our vision for development and peace,” he added.
Raina emphasised the “strong public support” for the BJP, citing the “large crowds” at the rallies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
He predicted a “crushing” defeat for the Congress.
However, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Tariq Hameed Karra said the party’s alliance with the NC had the edge.
“People have voted for the NC-Congress alliance as we expected. We are confident of forming the government in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
“From day one, we anticipated forming the government and this is also the expectation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.
The NC echoed the same sentiment. Its provincial president for the Jammu region Rattan Lal Gupta said the NC-Congress alliance will form the next government, regardless of exit poll predictions.
“Most exit polls have given a clear mandate to the NC-Congress alliance with over 53 seats. The alliance is expected to win 20 to 24 seats in the Jammu region,” Gupta said.
Meanwhile, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti has asserted that the next government in Jammu and Kashmir will be secular and not without her party’s support.
“The government will be secular… without the PDP’s support, no government will be formed in Jammu and Kashmir. There will never be a BJP government in the region,” she asserted.
Heavy security arrangements have been put in place at all 20 counting centres and district headquarters across Jammu and Kashmir for Tuesday’s vote count. This was the first Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
The stage is set for counting of votes for the 90 Assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday amid multi-tier security arrangements, officials said.
In Srinagar, the counting using Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) would be taken up at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) at Centaur on the banks of the Dal Lake, officials said.
In Jammu, counting will take place at Padmashree Padma Sachdev College for Women Gandhi Nagar, Jammu, Govt MAM College, Jammu and Govt Polytechnic College, Bikram Chowk, Jammu.
An official said, “All the three educational institutions shall remain closed on October 7, 8, and 9 as the vote counting for the recently concluded Assembly elections will be held in these venues.”
The three-phase Assembly elections, the first in Jammu and Kashmir in a decade, witnessed high voter enthusiasm on September 18, 25 and October 1.
The fate of 873 candidates vying for a seat in the 90-member House will be known by tomorrow evening.
The first Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir after it was made a Union Territory witnessed a voter turnout of 63.45 per cent, less than the 65.52 percent recorded in the 2014 Assembly elections.
Meanwhile, all the Deputy Commissioners of the 20 districts of the Union Territory have put in place facilities at vote counting centres, officials said.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pandurang K Pole emphasised on transparency, promising that efforts shall be made to ensure that both media and public stay informed on the election results as they unfold.
He directed officials to ensure that all necessary measures are implemented in strict accordance with the guidelines of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Similar arrangements have been made in the Jammu region at counting centres in all districts.
All the mainstream parties including the National Conference (NC), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) and Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) have named their counting agents to oversee the process at various centres..
The NC and Congress alliance have claimed they would get absolute majority. A similar claim was made by the BJP.
However, the exit polls suggested that the NC and the Congress may emerge as the largest bloc in the 90-member Assembly.
The PDP has claimed it will play a pivotal role in forming the next government. The exit polls have claimed that the party may get less than 10 seats.
Others and independent candidates will also have a chance to play an important role in the forming of the next government in Jammu and Kashmir, the exit polls predicted.
