Bandipora, Oct 01 : Expressing a desire to serve the people democratically and describing participation in elections as a much-needed process, Hafiz Mohammad Sikander, the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) backed candidate, stated that the banned organisation had stayed away from elections since 1987 to protest the rigging of polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
After casting his vote at the Gundpora polling station, he said: “JeI stayed away from polls since 1987 to protest the rigging of elections at that time by certain mischievous parties. Now, we consider participating in elections a much-needed process, as we want to serve the people democratically, addressing their voices and issues that have been ignored.”
The 32-year-old candidate told news agency—Kashmir news observer (KNO) that JeI wants to serve the people and fight for justice, aiming to highlight their concerns on a larger scale.
With a GPS tracker attached to his ankle, Malik gained momentum in the final days of his campaign and noted that he faced many challenges due to doubts about the device. “They ran away from me, fearing it might record our conversations,” he said.
Regarding the current situation, he stated that conditions in J&K are much better now, but people have missed having elected representatives for over a decade. “With the elections held in J&K, we hope that elected representatives will address the common issues faced by the region,” he said.
The polling began today for the 3rd and final phase of General Elections to J&K Legislative Assembly in 40 Assembly Constituencies (ACs) across seven districts of Jammu & Kashmir—(KNO)
