Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir was one of the first voters to exercise his right during the final phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls on Wednesday. He said that the elections were "historic".

Accompanied by his wife, Shamima Azad, the former CM said, "These polls are historic as compared to 1996 and 2002 ones as the separatist's call for poll boycott has been rejected and people are no longer getting carried away by hollow slogans of separatists or those parties trying to create a divide."

He was very sure of Congress's victory in the state and said that people shall vote for development. He also said, "People have rejected negative politics based on regional and religious slogans."

Casting his vote at Raipur school in the city, Azad said, "There will be no coalition with any party. We have the numbers". When asked what Congress will do if it did not get the magic figure, he said, "We had left about eight seats for like-minded groups and I think their support would be sufficient to form the government."

He further said, "These elections were landmarks as far as the high voter turnout was concerned. It is vote for peace and development. They are not going to be misled by hollow slogans."

He also said that no alliance was entered into by the Congress with NC and PDP.