Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed an election rally at Kishtawar, 260 km away from Jammu, on Saturday, ahead of the first phase of polling in the Assembly elections. The polls are to be held in five phases, between November 25 and December 23.
Mr Modi attacked the 'dynastic politics' of the state, and called on the people to deny power to the two families that have intermittently ruled Jammu and Kashmir.
He also raised a plea against politicking over religion. "Don't link religion to politics. A Kashmiri is a Kashmiri. We have to change their lives. Does not matter where he or she goes to worship," said Mr Modi at Kishtawar.
With the Kishtawar rally, Mr Modi has visited Jammu and Kashmir five times since he took over as Prime Minister. He had visited the Valley after it was hit by floods, spent Diwali there and had visited troops in the Ladakh region.
