Mir Farhat
Kulgam, Dec 2: Voters in two constituencies in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district that voted today in the second phase of the Assembly polls displayed a contrasting picture, with some villages boycotting the polls while others voting briskly.
In Homshalibugh segment, villages like Arwani, Qaimoh, Wanpoh, Rampur and Khudwani boycotted the polls, while the rest of the constituency voted, some for “change”and some for the sitting legislator.
Of the 3,374 voters in Arwani and Rakhi Hassanpora, only 265 votes cast in the six polling booths till voting closed.
“We are on boycott. We don’t vote for those people who have oppressed us,” said Mushtaq Ahmad, a youth at Rakhi Hassanpora village.
Around 10 villages in the vicinity of Hassanpora have decided not to vote, he said.
Bashir Ahmad, 57, of Arwani said that voting “is a sin”. “Politicians cannot lure us into voting on the mere pretexts of providing roads and constructing drains,” he said.
A National Conference’s Halqa secretary of Arwani, Gulzar Ahmad, however, said that people boycotted polls because the polling booths are located “far off” from the village. He blamed election authorities for boycott.
However, the picture in rest of the constituency was starkly different. Voters lined up in long queues in Frisal, Larnoo and other smaller hamlets. Yaripora village too saw a considerable polling.
“We vote for development to see our roads are macad-amized, schools are well constructed, and we do not face water shortage,” said Abid Ahmad, a young man in Frisal polling station.
At Frisal, out of 3,339 votes in four booths, 694 were cast till 12 in the noon and voters, young and old, were enthusiastically swarming towards the booths.
Just on the other side of the road that dissects Homshalibugh and Kulgam segments, the latter too reflected mixed scenes of boycott and polling.
Bugam, Baloosa and Panivah villages boycotted the polling. In Bugam village of the total 2, 912 registered voters, not a single vote was cast till voting closed.
“We always have boycotted. We will not vote this time as well. We will stick to the boycott call of the Hurriyat Conference headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani,” said Bashaarat Bhat.
Security forces and pro-boycott youth fought pitched stone battles in Qaimoh and Khudwani villages as voting was closing, while youth sneaked out of lanes and bylanes to throw stones at the security forces deployed in huge numbers.
The residents alleged that police had picked up seven youth in the night.
Bhat said that until the police releases the youth, they won’t allow the polling staff a “safe passage.”
A few kilometers from these villages, the town of Kulgam and its others villages voted briskly.
The colorful flag buntings of PDP, NC and CPI (M) crisscrossing along the town’s main road reflected the voters’ mood in this belt.
Some voters in polling booths said they voted for “change”, while some said they voted for “new and young candidate”, while some said they voted for the legislator who has “always done well for them”.
Aqib Ali Zargar, a first time voter said that he wants a young face to represent his constituency in the Assembly.
A few kilometers ahead in HC Chawalgam, the native village of Imran and Laway, voters were divided between PDP and NC. The village has 2,916 eligible voters.
At Mirhama village, voters made long queues to vote for “change”. The voters stuck to the “change” mood. This is what they had said while they had polled in Lok Sabha elections, with the CPI (M) supporters also voting this time.
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