Centenarian granny Bakthi Begum votes for change in militancy-hit Bhaderwah

BHADERWAH: For 102-year-old Bakthi Begum voting has become a part of life as she claims to not have missed even a single election since 1957, when the process began in Jammu and Kashmir.
The centenarian mother of six, hailing from remote Haroo village of Bhaderwah tehsil, says she has braved all odds including threats to her life from militants, to exercise her right to vote.

"For the past 60 years, I have never missed a single occasion to vote. Ever since I voted for the first time, I make sure that I don't miss a single chance...I have voted in all the elections since then," Bakthi, who was accompanied by her grandson to Sartingal polling station here, told PTI.

Noting that nothing much has changed in the past six decades in the area, the elderly woman said life continues to be difficult for the inhabitants of this mountainous belt.

A strong believer in democracy, Bakthi said each time she goes to vote with a hope that the winning candidate would work for much-needed infrastructural development of the area.

"We need good roads here, many of our villages still remain unconnected which creates lot of problem for us, we need good hospitals and I caste my vote with the hope that our area would be developed," she added.

From the next dispensation in the state, the centenarian expects that it would open up more job avenues so that the unemployed youth in the area including her grandchildren get employment.

"I want employment for my grandchildren as they remain unemployed," said Bakhti, who is mother to 34 grand-children.

For the family comprising of more than 100 registered voters, the elderly woman has been an inspiration for everyone to participate in election process.

"Every time there are elections she gets excited. For the past ten days she has been enquiring about the election date. At the age of 102 she keeps on inspiring us to come out and vote," Bakthi's grandson Ashiq Hussan (43) said.

Long queues were witnesses at Sartingal polling booth as people from all walks of life came out in large numbers to caste their vote.

Unfazed by the separatist-sponsored boycott call and militant threats, the residents of this area voted amid tight security arrangements in the first phase of elections.

Braving the winter chill, voters were seen queueing outside polling stations in the area early this morning to caste their votes in the first phase of Assembly elections.

"There is no effect of separatists boycott call in the area as people in large number are coming out to vote," said Parveena, a Bhaderwah resident, while she waited for her turn outside a polling booth here.

The area residents said that development is the main issue for them with only one fair-weather highway connecting the region with the rest of the country, they have to face several problems when the highway gets affected by snowfall.

"We need better road connectivity here and we are coming out to vote so as to bring about development in our area," said another resident Naseer Ahmed.

In Bhaderwah Assembly constituency 152 polling booths have been set up for the 1.04 lakh registered voters including 54,768 men and 49,863 women voters, who would decide the fate of the contesting candidates.

The main contenders in Bhaderwah are Mohammed Sharief Naiz of the Congress, Dileep Parihar of BJP and Sheikh Mehboob Iqbal of PDP. The constituency witnessed 14 per cent turnout by 10 AM.