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Anantnag-Rajouri: After record polling in Srinagar and Baramulla of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Anantnag-Rajouri (Anantnag-Rajouri) parliamentary constituency has also broken polling records, with Anantnag, Poonch, Kulgam and Rajouri and Shopian districts recording 51.35% polling at 5 pm, the highest in the last 35 years since 1989. With this, the ongoing General Elections 2024 have seen the highest polling in several decades in the three parliamentary constituencies of the valley, Srinagar (38.49%), Baramulla (59.1%) and Anantnag-Rajouri (51.35% till 5 pm). Overall, the current general elections saw nearly 50% (5 pm Anantnag Rajouri) polling in all three parliamentary constituencies of the Valley, as against 19.16% in 2019.
Voters were queuing up with enthusiasm and determination outside polling booths in Anantnag-Rajouri even before voting began for Kashmir’s Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat. Former chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti is trying her luck in this constituency, pitted against NC’s Mian Altaf and her party’s Zafar Manhas.
Mufti today staged a massive protest in Bijbahara and alleged that some PDP workers were detained during the night. When Mufti reached Bijbahara to cast her vote, instead of going to her designated polling booth, she stopped her car at Bijbahara police station and got off and sat on the old national highway, where she sat for hours. Mehbooba remained adamant that she will not vote until her workers are released. A few hours later, Mehbooba said that her workers were released and she reached the designated polling station and voted.
Mehbooba Mufti said, “Only PDP workers are being harassed. Every effort is being made to ensure that Mehbooba Mufti does not reach Parliament. Mehbooba accused some top police officials that all this is being done at their behest.” However, this demonstration did not affect the enthusiasm of the voters and heavy voting continued throughout the day from Anantnag to Rajouri Poonch and 6 times more voting was recorded than the voting percentage of 2019 which was only around 9 percent.
Visited around 14 polling stations in Kulgam districts, talked to the people and got to know their various issues and problems for which they were voting. Some were seen talking about development, some were seen talking about electricity, water, road, some were seen talking about employment, some were seen talking about Article 370.
Voter Mohammad Akbar at Shangas polling station said, “I cast my vote for my better future, my future is my sons, I have lived my life and seen a lot of suffering, but I don’t want my sons to suffer the same and I believe that if we vote in the right way we will get the right representation and this will help us”
Another woman voter Ayesha Mahmood at Bijbhara polling station said, “See how the rates have increased in the market, our household budget has been shaken, our income is low and expenses are high, our sons are educated but they don’t have jobs, we have many problems and now we have decided to vote for an honest person who will really work for us, we have great hope that life will change” Haji Gaffar at Virinag polling station said, “There are many problems that have brought us to the polling station, we have lost our special status, we want to bring it to the attention of our biggest democratic platform i.e. Parliament that we are not happy, vote is the only way we can raise our voice “The Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency has emerged as a large constituency after delimitation. 18.36 lakh voters were to cast their votes today at 2338 polling stations in the region. A dedicated team of over 9,000 polling staff along with reserves was deployed to ensure smooth polling.
The sixth phase of polling covered five districts of the Kashmir Valley – Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian, Poonch and Rajouri. Extensive security measures were implemented to protect the sanctity of the electoral process and guarantee incident-free polling, especially in areas near the Line of Control in Poonch and Rajouri districts. A total of 20 candidates are in the fray. The main attraction is a thrilling triangular contest between former PDP chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, BJP-backed Apni Party’s Zafar Manhas and National Conference’s veteran Gujjar leader Mian Altaf.
The elections held in Kashmir this time have reflected the changing thinking of the people towards democracy. No matter which candidate wins, no matter which party wins, whatever the issues of the people, ultimately the democratic process has won because after decades the people of Kashmir have recognized the power of their vote and have expressed faith in the ballot instead of the bullet.
