Top / Mon, 13 May 2024 The Indian Express

In highest turnout since 1996, Srinagar records nearly 38 per cent voting

Voters looking for “umeed (hope)” and for political representation queued up on Monday at polling booths across Srinagar, which saw a turnout of 37.98% (estimates till 11.45 pm) — the highest since 1996. In 2019, Srinagar saw a turnout of 14.43%. In 1996, Srinagar saw a turnout of 40.94%. In the past three decades, Bhat’s village of Barsoo saw turnout in single digits. As per figures, Kangan assembly constituency in Ganderbal district saw the highest turnout at 58 per cent, and Habbakadal in Srinagar the lowest at 14 per cent.

National Conference candidate Aga Ruhulla Mehdi is taking on Peoples Democratic Party’s Waheed ur Rehman Para and J&K Apni Party’s Ashraf Mir for the seat, where a total of 24 candidates are in the fray.

“This is not a vote in protest against our past, it is a vote of umeed, of the hope of a better future,” said 62-year-old Ghulam Qadir Wani, who cast his vote at Dara.

He said that for the last 10 years, people have been “bystanders” to the changing political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir, and casting their vote “returns a sense of control” to them. “If my family and I didn’t vote today, we would have felt defeated by our circumstances,” he said.

The Srinagar constituency’s boundaries were redrawn following a delimitation exercise in 2022. In 2019, Srinagar saw a turnout of 14.43%. The figures for 2014, 2009, 2004 and 1999 are 25.86%, 25.55%, 18.57% and 11.93% respectively. In 1996, Srinagar saw a turnout of 40.94%.

“We have been feeling disempowered since (abrogation of Article 370 in) August 2019. I’m here to elect my representative because this is the one thing that cannot be snatched away from me,” said 25-year-old Muneeb Mushtaq, standing in a queue outside the polling booth at Naira.

People queuing up to cast their votes in Srinagar. (Express photo by Shuaib Masoodi) People queuing up to cast their votes in Srinagar. (Express photo by Shuaib Masoodi)

He said he has been keenly watching speeches by leaders of national parties, and feels that “saving the Constitution” is a crucial responsibility.

At Lassipora in Pulwama, 70-year-old Abdul Rashid Mir said that while sending three MPs from Kashmir may not make a big difference in a Parliament of 543 seats, strengthening regional parties to represent J&K still matters. “The protections that our regional parties can afford us, the way they can protect young people who are picked up every now and then, strengthening them is our responsibility,” he said.

At the age of 60, Ganderbal resident Ghulam Nabi Bhat cast his vote for the first time. In the past three decades, Bhat’s village of Barsoo saw turnout in single digits. Not this time, though.

“In 1996, the Army forced us to come out to vote. I went to the polling station, got my finger inked, folded the ballot paper, put it in my pocket and left for home. But today, I have come here of my own will,” Bhat said.

The Srinagar parliamentary constituency is spread over five districts and 18 assembly segments. While Pulwama, Shopian, Budgam and Ganderbal districts witnessed long queues, voters also continuously trickled into polling booths in Srinagar city, which has traditionally seen poll boycotts.

Voters also cited the “political vacuum” and the absence of a political structure where they can “register their grievances” as reasons for the high turnout.

Faizan Ahmad, 23, who was waiting outside the polling station at Naira village in Pulwama, said, “We have no one to listen to our grievances. We can at least go to our elected representative and seek his or her help.”

With the shadow of boycott missing, many people flashed their inked fingers to relatives and friends – a far cry from the days when people would try and rub off the indelible ink.

After casting her vote, Zeba Begum (70) prodded other women from her village to follow suit. “I have voted in the past too but I am seeing such a rush for the first time,” she said.

“We have boycotted the elections for 30 years but it didn’t yield anything,” said Ali Mohammad, a voter. “Our electricity bills have gone up, there is no employment for the youth. That’s why we have come out this time.”

Officials in the Election Commission said they had made concerted efforts to facilitate campaigning and provide a secure environment for political activity. When Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar visited Kashmir in March to review preparations, all district magistrates were instructed to provide adequate security to candidates and grant approvals for holding events expeditiously, officials said.

Confidence-building measures for candidates and voter outreach programmes also led to an increase in the turnout this time, officials said.

After polling concluded, the J&K Chief Electoral Office, Pandurang Pole, said no untoward incidents were reported. Regarding allegations by some parties of their workers being detained, he said, “J&K is not completely free from its troubled past. To conduct elections peacefully and in a free and fair manner here, preventive measures have to be taken. If someone has a criminal background, anti-national history or record of working as an OGW (over-ground worker), such people are definitely detained. Normally, our effort is that if someone does not have such a history, they are not detained.”

Explained Behind jump in turnout While officials attributed confidence-building measures for candidates and voter outreach programmes, voters cited the “political vacuum” and absence of a political structure where they can “register their grievances” as reasons for the turnout.

He said there was no polling booth that saw no polling. The poll panel said the turnout was “a show of faith and enthusiasm in the election process”. As per figures, Kangan assembly constituency in Ganderbal district saw the highest turnout at 58 per cent, and Habbakadal in Srinagar the lowest at 14 per cent.

“More than 8,000 polling staff were on duty to cater to the over 17.47 lakh strong electorate,” the commission said. Voting took place at 2,135 polling stations across the Srinagar parliamentary constituency, with live webcasting at each location.

PDP’ candidate Waheed Para said the turnout was encouraging and attributed it to first-time voters. “This is an unprecedented turnout and speaks to our claim that young people are interested in restoration of democracy in J&K and are ready to claim their space,” he said.

NC candidate Ruhullah Mehdi thanked the people of Srinagar for casting their vote and wrote that he was “humbled” by the numbers in which they turned up.

J&K LG Manoj Sinha said the turnout was “heartening” and expressed hope that the enthusiasm of electors would be reflected in the next two phases too.

— With inputs from Damini Nath