In her address to Parliament on Thursday, President Droupadi Murmu hailed the high voter turnout in Kashmir this Lok Sabha election, saying it was a befitting reply to the enemies of India.
“A very heartening aspect of this election emerged from Jammu and Kashmir. The Kashmir Valley broke all records of voter turnout for many decades. In the last four decades, we had witnessed low voter turnout amidst shutdowns and strikes in Kashmir," Murmu said.
“Enemies of India continued to spread false propaganda at global forums, projecting it as an opinion of Jammu and Kashmir. But, this time, the Kashmir Valley has given a befitting reply to every such element within the country and outside,” she added
Murmu said the Constitution has fully come into force in Jammu and Kashmir, adding that things were different earlier due to Article 370. Article 370, which accorded a special status to Jammu and Kashmir, was abrogated by the Centre on August 5, 2019, and the erstwhile state was divided into two Union territories — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
According to the Election Commission, among the three seats representing Kashmir, Srinagar saw a voter turnout of 38.49%, Baramulla, 59.1%, and Anantnag-Rajouri (also including parts of Jammu), 53%.
Addressing the joint session of both Houses, the President congratulated the newly elected members of the 18th Lok Sabha. She also expressed her gratitude to the Election Commission of India for holding the elections peacefully.
"I extend my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to all the newly elected members of the 18th Lok Sabha. All of you have come here after winning the trust of the voters of the country. Very few people get this privilege of serving the country and the people. I have full faith that you will fulfil your duties with the spirit of the nation first and will become a medium for fulfilling the aspirations of 140 crore citizens," she said.