Jammu, Dec 24 : Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad is optimistic of Congress''s victory in state and said people will vote for development.

Azad, who was one of the first voters to exercise his franchise today, said, "People have rejected negative politics based on regional and religious slogans."

He added that there would be no coalition with any party. We have the numbers.

"These polls are historic as compared to 1996 and 2002 ones as the separatists'' 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 said

Asked what Congress will do if it failed to 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."

Azad further said people have shown strong faith in the democratic set-up, which was evident from the high voter turnout in the earlier phases.

Meanwhile, about 34 per cent of the 16.91 lakh- strong electorate exercised their franchise till late afternoon in the seventh and final phase of assembly polls.

The highest percentage of 56 percent has been reported from Chhamb assembly segment in Jammu district and the lowest percentage of around eight percent in the Sonawar constituency in Srinagar district.

Prominent among those whose political future is being decided in this final phase include the Former Chief Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Former ministers Tariq Qara, Khem Lata wakhloo and Ali Mohd Sagar. (ANI)