People’s Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti alleged on Wednesday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) want less polling in Kashmir to keep her out of elections.

Mufti told ANI, “People of Kashmir, especially the youth, are very angry with BJP and they want to express their anger through votes. They want to tell New Delhi that what you did is wrong. The answer to oppression is through voting. The fact that you have cheated us unconstitutionally (revoking Article 370) means that we are very angry with you and we will defeat you through votes.”

She also mentioned that people are being intimidated, and a fatwa is being issued that if you do not vote for this leader, a storm will come, which is wrong.

“Efforts are being made to reduce the votes of Mehbooba Mufti. BJP can do anything to keep me out of elections. They want less polling should happen in Kashmir, especially from where am fighting i.e south Kashmir,” Mufti added.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief is contesting from the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency.

Polling on the seat will be held on May 25 in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha polls. The counting of votes is scheduled for June 4.

Notably, despite PDP being part of the INDIA bloc, the National Conference nominated Mian Altaf Ahmad from the seat against Mehbooba Mufti.

In the fifth phase, the Baramulla parliamentary constituency of Jammu and Kashmir recorded a voter turnout of 55.79 per cent.

As per the ECI, this is the highest voter turnout recorded in the constituency in the last 8 Lok Sabha elections in 35 years.

The voter turnout in Baramulla was 5.48 per cent in 1989, 46.65 per cent in 1996, 41.94 per cent in 1998, 27.79 per cent in 1999, 35.65 per cent in 2004, 41.84 per cent in 2009, 39.14 per cent in 2014 and 34.6 per cent in 2019.