Polls in J&K to further strengthen roots of democracy: Home minister Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday welcomed the announcement of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election and said the polls will further strengthen the roots of democracy and open the doors to a new period of development for the region.

Shah also welcomed the announcement of polls in Haryana and said in the last 10 years, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state has written a new chapter of good governance under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Appealing to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to actively participate in the election, Shah said they should vote in large numbers to form a government that will sustain peace and development, and ensure a brighter future for youngsters.

"I welcome the announcement of the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir made by the Election Commission of India today. In the last 10 years, the Modi govt through a series of relentless initiatives has created a new era of peace, development and strengthening democracy in J-K," he said in a post on X.

The home minister said the Assembly polls will further strengthen the roots of democracy and open the doors to a new period of development for the region.

Welcoming the announcement of the Haryana Assembly polls, Shah said under Modi's leadership, the BJP government in the state has written a new chapter of good governance in the last 10 years -- from expense slip-free jobs to the online tender process and initiatives for the welfare of farmers and the poor.

"I am confident that in this assembly election, the voters of Haryana will form a BJP government in the state for a third consecutive time with an overwhelming majority," he said.

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election will be held after nearly a decade. It will be held in three phases starting September 18, setting the stage for the people of the Union Territory to elect a government after the scrapping of Article 370 of the Constitution in August 2019.

The EC also announced that the 90-member Haryana Assembly will go to polls on October 1 and the results of both the elections will be declared on October 4.