Historic voter turnout reflects strong faith of J&K people in democratic values: Sinha

Jammu, Jan 25: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha attended the 15th National Voters’ Day Celebrations at General Zorawar Singh Auditorium, University of Jammu, Saturday.
The Lieutenant Governor congratulated the Chief Electoral Officer J&K and his team for the prestigious Best Performing State/UT Award from Election Commission of India.
He expressed his deep gratitude to the people of J&K, officials of the National Election Commission and Election department, Police & security forces, officials and all the stakeholders for the fair, transparent and successful conduct of Lok Sabha and J&K Legislative Assembly elections.
“Historic voter turnout in Lok Sabha and Assembly elections reflects strong faith of people of J&K in democratic values and a renewed spirit of civic participation and hope for a new era wherein democracy is taking root more profoundly than ever before, driven by the will of people,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
Highlighting the valuable contribution of the Election Commission, the Lieutenant Governor said the meticulous planning and constant vigil by the election commission and their officers have ensured that the J&K elections this time have been smooth and streamlined, with no repolls.
All political parties unanimously accepted that this was the most fair, transparent, peaceful and spectacular elections in Jammu Kashmir, he added.
“Our cultural ethos focuses on democratic values of freedom, equality and inclusiveness and gives its common citizens an opportunity to live a quality and dignified life. Will of the people in our country is an age-old concept and that’s why India is called the ‘Mother of Democracy’,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
He said the theme for this year’s National Voters’ Day “Nothing Like Voting, I Vote for Sure” underlines the power of every vote and emphasizes that voting transcends all barriers, reflecting the true spirit of voting rights.
“Indian democracy is truly a festive proclamation of cooperation, collaboration, peace and collective strength of the people. India is among the select few countries where democratic ideals are strongest and foremost. I am proud that today many countries in the Global North and Global South are learning from India the ways of conducting fair and transparent elections,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor appreciated the efforts of the Chief Electoral Office for successful summary revision of electoral rolls, after delimitation and preparing the voters list of 89 lakh voters and ensuring that transparent and fair voting took place at all 11,838 polling stations.
He said the significant increase in the voter turnout during these elections is testament to the dedicated efforts of the election machinery of the Union Territory.
He further emphasised that awareness campaigns should continue to make all sections of the society aware of the power of their vote. He said the biggest objective of the celebration of National Voters’ Day is to motivate the eligible youth to participate in the voting process.
The Lieutenant Governor also congratulated Sh. Harvinder Singh, Deputy Commissioner Doda and Ms PD Nitya, SSP Pulwama who have been awarded for best electoral practices.
On the occasion, the Lieutenant Governor administered the National Voters’ Day pledge to the officials and the people.
The Lieutenant Governor felicitated Sara Rizvi, DIG IR Jammu; Minga Sherpa, Deputy Commissioner Baramulla; Sachin Kumar Vaishya, Deputy Commissioner Jammu; Rajesh Kumar Shavan, Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar; Devansh Yadav, Commissioner JMC, Sahil Sarangal, SSP; Randeep Kumar, SSP; Anil Salgotra, Joint CEO and senior officials of Police and other stakeholder departments with the UT-level awards for their contributions in successful conduct of Lok Sabha and J&K Legislative Assembly elections.
The Lieutenant Governor flagged off a mobile vehicle “Democracy on Wheels”, which will serve as an innovative tool to educate students about the importance of voting and the election process.
He inaugurated Regional EVM warehouse at Jammu and also felicitated the newly registered voters.
Enthralling performances by the artists of Natrang, members of NGO Muskaan, Jigar Foundation, School for Blind and college students, highlighting the importance of casting vote, received special appreciation from the Lieutenant Governor.
Rajiv Kumar, Chief Election Commissioner of India congratulated the people on the occasion, through a video message.
B R Sharma, Election Commissioner, J&K, Shaheen Kabra Additional Chief Secretary; Chandraker Bharti, Principal Secretary, Home, senior officials, heads of departments and prominent citizens were present.