Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said the high voter turnout in Kashmir in the fourth and fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections reflected the anger towards the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution.

Meanwhile, a polling agent of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) was found dead on the premises of a polling booth in Mumbai’s Worli area.

And, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that he does not have any successor and the people of the country were his successors.

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Here is a look at today’s top developments:

  • Mufti said on Monday that voters in Jammu and Kashmir were angry at the Union government for abrogating Article 370 of the Constitution that gave special status to the erstwhile state. “They firmly believe that we are living in a democracy and can convey our message through ballots that what was done in 2019 was not acceptable to us,” she told reporters during an election rally in Anantnag-Rajouri, where she is contesting the Lok Sabha polls on May 25. Polling in the constituency was initially scheduled to take place on May 7 and was postponed by the Election Commission.

    Mufti’s statement came against the backdrop of the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency recording a voter turnout of 38% on May 13 and Baramulla recording an all-time-high voter turnout of 59% on Monday.

    After polling in Srinagar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had claimed that the high voter turnout is the “greatest testament to the rightness” of abrogating Article 370.

  • A 62-year-old polling booth agent of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction was found dead inside the toilet of a polling booth in Mumbai’s Worli area on Monday, reported The Indian Express. He was identified as Manohar Nalge. According to the police, he had complained of uneasiness and discomfort before going to the washroom. The party, meanwhile, accused the Election Commission of not providing proper facilities at the polling station.

  • While addressing an election rally in Bihar on Tuesday, Modi said that he does not have any personal legacy, reported The Times of India. “For me, you are my legacy, you are my successors. I do not have any other successor,” said the prime minister. “So, I have to work very hard to ensure a bright future for you and your children. I do not want that your next generation should face the problems that you have experienced in your lifetime.”

    The statement came days after Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal claimed that the BJP would make Amit Shah the next prime minister if it were to win the Lok Sabha polls. “Prime Minister Modi is turning 75 next September,” Kejriwal had said. “He is the one who made the rule [in the BJP] that those who turn 75 must retire. Who will fulfil Modi’s guarantee after he retires next year? Will Amit Shah do it?”

  • Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday told PTI that there is a huge support among voters for his party and the Opposition INDIA bloc, which would help the alliance in stopping the BJP from getting a majority. “After travelling across the country, we are getting the sense that there is a big undercurrent in our favour,” Kharge told the news agency. “The Congress party and coalition partners of INDIA bloc will get more seats this time. We will be able to stop the BJP from getting the seats required for coming to power. I feel the BJP will not be able to form its government.”

  • Former Aam Aadmi Party leader Jagbir Singh Brar joined the BJP on Tuesday. Brar was a member of the Shiromani Akali Dal before he joined the Aam Aadmi Party a year ago.

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