Ganderbal, Sept 24: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday dubbed the talk of anti-incumbency wave in voting in the ongoing assembly elections as a propaganda and was confident that the National Conference would retain power.

"The talk of anti-incumbency wave is a propaganda and October 10 (counting day) would prove wrong those spreading this," said Abdullah after casting his vote in a polling booth in Ganderbal constituency, a stronghold of the Abdullah family for decades. The Chief Minister's son and Union Minister Omar Abdullah, who is making his debut in assembly elections from this constituency, said he will win by a good margin. His main rival is PDP'S Qazi Mohammad Afzal.

Minister of state for Defence Chaman Lal Gupta said in Jammu after exercising his franchise that the kind of voter turnout so far in the assembly polls was a "fitting reply" to the designs of Pakistan to disrupt the four phased polls.

Gupta said a hung assembly will emerge in the elections to the 87-member assembly and that the BJP will have the balance of power in installing the new government. "The government will be one which BJP wants," he added. Bureau Report