Srinagar: Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma launched a fierce attack on the Congress party on Monday, stating that "every election of Congress is based on lies" and accusing them of deceiving the public during their campaigns. Sharma made these remarks while seeking support for the BJP in the poll-bound Jammu and Kashmir. During his visit to Kathua, CM Sharma expressed confidence in forming a BJP government in the Union Territory, stating, "The enthusiasm of the youth and women here assures me that the BJP government will be formed in Jammu and Kashmir with a huge majority." In a related event, Union Minister Jitendra Singh paid tribute to Maharaja Hari Singh and directed his criticism towards Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition. Singh remarked, "Even when we had said that statehood (to J&K) will be given, he (Rahul Gandhi) is repeating the same thing so that when statehood is granted, he can claim it was because of his pressure." Earlier, Rahul Gandhi emphasized that the INDIA bloc is committed to providing statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. He criticized the current governance, saying, "Earlier, in Jammu & Kashmir, people used to make decisions through their elected MLAs, but today a king has been appointed. The LG is like a king, and he is an outsider. That's why he cannot do what is in the hearts of the people of J-K." The first phase of the three-phase assembly elections took place on September 18, recording a voter turnout of 61.13% across 24 constituencies in seven districts. Voting for the second and third phases is scheduled for September 25 and October 1, respectively, with votes to be counted on October 8. Congress Leader Pawan Khera Responds to Amit Shah's Remarks on Dalit Respect Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini Slams Congress as 'Anti-Dalit' Ahead of Assembly Elections BJP Calls for Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah's Resignation Amid MUDA Scam Allegations