The Jammu and Kashmir Congress party President Ghulam Ahmad Mir said on Tuesday that the people of Anantnag district voted to “make secular forces strong” because they have seen the outcome of the PDP-BJP alliance.
“We were expecting huge turnout and today people of Anantnagvoted for secular forces,” Mir told Greater Kashmir. “We are happy and thankfulto the people.”
He said the people of Anantnag “showed their resentment”against the PDP-BJP alliance.
“If our reports are true, the people rejected PDP today,” hesaid.
“PDP backed the agenda of the BJP which was dictated by theRSS and the political dynamics of the state changed,” he said.
Mir said that this time people voted with responsibilityagainst the forces that are “hell bent on destroying the age-old pluralisticcharacter of the state”.
Mir said security arrangements were not adequate forTuesday’s polls.
“The assurances of the ECI with regard to foolproof securityarrangements have fallen flat, which is a matter of serious concern and shouldnot be repeated in the coming two phases in southern Kashmir,” he said.
Senior Vice-President of the J&K Congress, GN Monga, whocampaigned for the party in southern Kashmir, said that people in the state”today gave their answer to the PDP-BJP alliance.”
He said even the people in Bijbehara, PDP President MehboobaMufti’s hometown, did not come out to vote.
“When people in Bijbehara did not vote, it means things havechanged,” he said.