J&K votes in chill, few takers for BJP
More than 70 per cent turnout on Tuesday; no sign of Modi wave in the Valley even as people’s anger against Omar Abdullah government comes to the fore.
Defying separatists’ election boycott call and braving extremely cold weather, voters turned out in large numbers on Tuesday to record over 70 per cent polling in 15 constituencies in the first of the five-phase polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
It was around 4 degrees C and icy winds were blowing when polling began at 8 am, but thousands of voters had already lined up at the polling stations. Interestingly, very few people from among those this newspaper spoke to said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was the party of their choice, even as majority of them said they wanted to “punish” Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s National Congress (NC) for “failing the state”.
“I voted for the party that recently promised us that Central University would be made functional soon after it assumes power,” an elderly farmer of Barsoo Ganderbal, Muhammad Abdullah, said, even as a youth echoed his sentiments. “It was in 2009 when the process of land acquisition for the Central University of Kashmir was started in Ganderbal, but almost five years have passed by, and construction is still going on,” the youth said.
‘Stone-pelters’ of barsoo come out in large numbers
For the first time since the eruption of militancy in the Valley, the Barsoo area in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district witnessed brisk polling. The area has always boycotted the polls, but this time around, people turned up in large numbers to “vent their frustration” against the regime.
“We want change. We will accept any government other than the present one. Let us hope for the best and we are sure that the new government will address our problems,” a group of people outside the polling station said. “I have voted for PDP, I want end of the Omar Abdullah sarkar as 124 young men have been killed during his tenure and he did nothing to stop the killings,” Ganderbal resident Sajjad told this newspaper.
In five Valley constituencies, two in Ganderbal recorded 68 per cent turnout — an increase of 13 per cent from 2008 Assembly polls -- while three in Bandipora district recorded 70.30 per cent, registering an increase of 11 per cent. In six seats of Jammu division, two constituencies in Doda district recorded a turn out of 76 per cent while it was 70 per cent each for the four seats in Kishtwar and Ramban districts.
Militants hurled grenades at two polling stations in Bandipora and Sonawari constituencies. The attacks failed to have any effect on the polling process as no-one was hurt.
Defying separatists’ election boycott call and braving extremely cold weather, voters turned out in large numbers on Tuesday to record over 70 per cent polling in 15 constituencies in the first of the five-phase polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
It was around 4 degrees C and icy winds were blowing when polling began at 8 am, but thousands of voters had already lined up at the polling stations. Interestingly, very few people from among those this newspaper spoke to said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was the party of their choice, even as majority of them said they wanted to “punish” Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s National Congress (NC) for “failing the state”.
Riding on the Narendra Modi wave, the BJP had famously announced its ‘50 plus plan’, aiming at an unprecedented majority in the state while fielding candidates for most of the 87 seats. However, indications from the first phase suggest Mehbooba Mufti’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) could win big this time around.
“I voted for the party that recently promised us that Central University would be made functional soon after it assumes power,” an elderly farmer of Barsoo Ganderbal, Muhammad Abdullah, said, even as a youth echoed his sentiments. “It was in 2009 when the process of land acquisition for the Central University of Kashmir was started in Ganderbal, but almost five years have passed by, and construction is still going on,” the youth said.
‘Stone-pelters’ of barsoo come out in large numbers
For the first time since the eruption of militancy in the Valley, the Barsoo area in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district witnessed brisk polling. The area has always boycotted the polls, but this time around, people turned up in large numbers to “vent their frustration” against the regime.
“We want change. We will accept any government other than the present one. Let us hope for the best and we are sure that the new government will address our problems,” a group of people outside the polling station said. “I have voted for PDP, I want end of the Omar Abdullah sarkar as 124 young men have been killed during his tenure and he did nothing to stop the killings,” Ganderbal resident Sajjad told this newspaper.
In five Valley constituencies, two in Ganderbal recorded 68 per cent turnout — an increase of 13 per cent from 2008 Assembly polls -- while three in Bandipora district recorded 70.30 per cent, registering an increase of 11 per cent. In six seats of Jammu division, two constituencies in Doda district recorded a turn out of 76 per cent while it was 70 per cent each for the four seats in Kishtwar and Ramban districts.
Militants hurled grenades at two polling stations in Bandipora and Sonawari constituencies. The attacks failed to have any effect on the polling process as no-one was hurt.
