Voters made a beeline outside polling stations in seven districts of Jammu and Kashmir that voted in the first phase of Assembly elections, the first in 10 years, yesterday. Close to 59% of the electorate cast its vote by evening, which is decidedly the highest among the past seven elections.
"I stood in a long queue and voted patiently to cast my vote. It was my first since the 1987 polls", said 72--year-old Ghulam Nabi Mir at a polling station in Tral in south Kashmir's Pulwama district.
There were long queues at all polling stations in the Tral Payeen area, a remarkable development given that Tral was known as "Kashmir's Kandahar" during the era of militancy as it was a known stronghold of militants and separatists.
"People have realised the importance of electoral politics. After the abrogation of Article 370, which disempowered us, we want to safeguard whatever is left there through our vote", Mir said.
Zubair Ahmed, a first-time voter, said he hopes, the elected government will create jobs and usher in an era of development in J&K, especially in the valley.
Brisk polling was reported in Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag districts of south Kashmir, which voted in this phase. The first phase of poll covered 24 seats across 7 districts.
An election official in a polling station in Tral said it is the first time that such a large number of people are voting. "In the past, only a handful of people used to cast their votes", she claimed.
Courtesy. The NIE
My take
A welcome sign! Hope the voters elect the right government!! PM Modi needs to be given a 'high five' for having brought about the turnaround!!!
Tailpiece.
Got up at 5, the chores and was ready by 10.
Went to town to get my bank work done and buy fish.
A quiet Thursday!
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