NEW DELHI: Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said here today that even as the Kashmir-centric regional political parties like National Conference(NC) and PDP continue to raise the issue of Article 370 in their election campaign, the fact on the ground is that the common masses in the Kashmir valley are indifferent to this issue. People of Kashmir valley are far more enthusiastic to be a part of the ongoing election process and to move on as a part of India's development journey, he said.

In an exclusive interview with the Editor of the popular "Open" magazine,Rajeev Deshpande, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the election in Kashmir valley is truly the celebration of the festival of democracy in letter and spirit. The heavy turnout of the voters reflects the will of people to make Kashmir a part of India's growth story instead of being tied down by the self-seeking slogans and rhetoric of the political parties hankering after Article 370 or the so-called Special Status for Kashmir, he said.

The credit goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said Dr Jitendra Singh, for having successfully broken the jinx and proved to the world that the people of Jammu & Kashmir, particularly Kashmir valley, are as much given to the democratic aspirations as anywhere else. While the voter turnout in Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency was around 59%, it is expected to be higher in the polling to the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency, he said.

Come what may the opposition leaders say, Dr Jitendra Singh said, they will have no answer to the question as to why during the last over three decades, when Congress and its allies were in power both in Jammu & Kashmir as well as at the Centre, they could not even hold an election properly, leave aside the open public campaigning that is being witnessed today.

He said, it is the conduciveness created by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government that even the opposition leaders are today enjoying the luxury of holding large public rallies in the valley.

To a question as to why BJP did not put up its own Party candidates in the valley constituencies, Dr Jitendra Singh said, for a Party whose motto is "Nation First", the decisions are taken based on the best interest of the nation and the democratic process.

Regardless of whoever is the candidate, he said, the victory of Modi-led BJP is evidently visible in the mass turnout of common people both for campaigning as well as for voting, which is something that was unimaginable even for Congress and its allies till a few years ago and is yet again a reiteration of the fact that "Modi Hai to Mumkin Hai".