Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Monday praised people of Jammu and Kashmir for turning out in large numbers to exercise their right of franchise braving terrorist attacks.
"We are receiving good news from all over the country that people are turning up at polling booths to cast their votes. It is more heartening that people in large numbers are lining up outside polling booths in Jammu and Kashmir despite incidents of violent terrorist attacks," Vajpayee said at an election meeting in Ratangarh in support of BJP candidates in Rajasthan.
People of Jammu and Kashmir want to assert their right of franchise even putting their lives in danger. "ve jaan par khelenge par vote ke adhikar ko nahi khoyenge" (they will stake their lives, but would not (not) lose their right of franchise), he said.
Appealing to people to vote for BJP candidates, he said there should be large polling in the elections as India was the biggest democracy in the world. The voters would decide who should form the Government at the Centre, he said.