"Congress, Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti exploited people of J-K": Union Minister Giriraj Singh

Begusarai: Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Sunday attacked Congress, the National Conference, and the Peoples Democratic Party for exploiting the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
"The Prime Minister said that he will conduct the elections. So, he is doing that. The announcement of the elections has been done democratically...The nepotist parties and leaders like Congress, Farooq Abdullah, and Mehbooba Mufti have exploited the people of J-K," Giriraj Singh told reporters on Sunday.
"PM Narendra Modi established democracy by conducting elections of panchayats, and now Vidhan Sabha elections are going to be held," he added.
Polling in Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, as announced by the Election Commission of India. The votes will be counted on October 8.
J-K has 90 assembly constituencies, with 7 seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 9 for Scheduled Tribes (STs).
According to the Election Commission of India, J-K has 88.06 lakh eligible electors.
In the previous Assembly elections, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) won 28 seats, BJP secured 25, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference won 15, and Congress won 12.
The PDP and BJP formed a coalition government led by Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. However, in 2018, the BJP withdrew its support after Mehbooba Mufti took over following Mufti Mohammed Sayeed's demise.
These upcoming elections will be the first in Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370.