Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 25: An overall 40 percent turnover of displaced Kashmiri Pandit voters was reported for 15 Assembly segments spread over three districts of Central Kashmir which went to polls in second phase today.
According to Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner, Migrants, Dr Arvind Karvani who is also the Returning Officer for Migrants, overall voting percentage of displaced Kashmiri Pandits in aggregate was 40 percent on 19 polling booths in Jammu, one in Udhampur and four in Delhi.
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He said 40 percent votes were polled by displaced Pandits in Jammu while 43 percent were reported at Delhi NCR and 37 percent on one polling booth at Udhampur.
It may be recalled that there were 15500 votes of displaced Pandits in three Central Kashmir districts of Ganderbal, Srinagar and Budgam which went to polls today. Out of them 14,400 displaced Pandit voters were registered on 19 polling booths of Jammu while 900 were registered at four polling booths of Delhi NCR and one polling booth of Udhampur in Jammu.
As per official data out of 15,500 displaced Pandit voters 5855 were polled today. Out of them highest number of 2585 votes were polled for Habbakadal constituency in Srinagar district which has a total number of 6333 voters.
The lowest number of 27.83 percent votes were polled for Budgam Assembly segment where out of 603 registered votes of displaced Pandits, 168 were polled.
The highest number of 55 percent votes were reported from Kangan Assembly segment of Ganderbal district where out of 114registered migrant votes 63 where cast.
At KV Bantalab out of 2100 votes of displaced Pandits, 1001 were polled. Rakesh Sadhoo was the first person who turned up for casting his vote at this polling booth in the morning.
The response of voters, however, remained much for Habbakadal constituency at every Special Polling Booth in Jammu established for displaced Pandits. At KV Bantalab, an octogenarian lady Sheela Dhar was brought on wheel chair by her children to cast her vote while at Accountancy Training Institute, Muthi Camp, Chaman Lal Raina aged 90 was also brought on wheel chair by his children to cast the vote.
Raina, while talking to media said that casting vote is a Constitutional right of every citizen of country and the voter is free to cast his vote in favour of party and candidate he likes best. But he appealed all the community men not to boycott but cast their vote in the larger national interests to elect a Government of their choice which can work for national interests.
The Relief Department had made elaborate arrangements for voters and RRC himself visited every polling booth to see the arrangements during the day.
The women voters, elderly persons and first time voters also planted trees at various places after casting vote, the arrangements for which were made by the Relief Department.
The first time voters though very less in number were enthusiastic in casting their vote. Some of them said that vote is a great power in democracy as it enables people to form the Government of their choice which one believes will provide job avenues to youth, remove unemployment and also take the State forward on the path of development and progress.
BJP leader co-incharge Kashmir, Hira Lal Bhat expressed his satisfaction for the arrangements made by the election authorities for displaced Pandit voters on all 19 polling booths in Jammu. He appealed displaced Pandits to cast their vote enmass in the third Phase on October 1 also.
One elderly person also got fainted at a polling booth at K V Bantalab. He was immediately shifted to hospital by a team of volunteers led by Sanjay Ganjoo, president Durga Nagar Welfare Committee where he is stated to be out of danger.
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