National Conference Vice- president and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said the low voter turnout in Srinagar district during the second phase of voting for Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls was perhaps a people’s reaction to the Centre trying to project normalcy in the union territory.
His remarks came after the second phase of polling on Wednesday saw a voter turnout of over 56 per cent while the first phase held on September 18 saw an estimated 61.38 per cent voter turnout.
Locals of Srinagar district continued to be reluctant voters on Wednesday (September 25, 2024), which was evident with the low voter turnout of 29.24% in spite of the high-pitch, violence-free poll campaigning by parties in the second phase of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election.
“To be honest, I was expecting higher turnout because there was no boycott call, there were attacks, there were no threats or intimidation of the voters. I feel the Centre is also responsible for this. They tried to present the high voter turnout as signs of normalcy and as if the people had accepted the revocation of Article 370. Maybe this was a reaction from Srinagar because people of Srinagar do not want to send wrong signals,” Abdullah told reporters in Uri border town of Baramulla district.
