Migrants cast votes in Jammu
Avtar Bhat
SRINAGAR/JAMMU, Dec 5 : There was over 45 percent voter turnout in the re-poll of two constituencies of District Development Council (DDC) in North Kashmir today.
Kupwara’s Drugmulla constituency saw 32.73 percent polling and Bandipora’s Hajin A 53.27 percent.
In Drugmulla 10724 votes were polled. They include 5624 males and 5100 females.
In Hajin-A, 8669 votes were polled including 4717 males and 3982 females.
There was huge enthusiasm among the electorate who came out in large numbers right from the morning to cast their votes while the winter chill allowed very few voters to polling booths in the morning which accordingly increased as the day progressed in Drugmulla.
There was no untoward incident anywhere in the two constituencies.
An official said that amid tight security, people showed greater participation in the re-polling. He said that large contingents of police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were deployed at the polling stations.
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Deputy Commissioner Kupwara Doifode Sagar Dattaray along with Senior Superintendent of Police Yougal Manhas visited polling booths to assess the voting process.
Talking to reporters, the DC said that elections were peacefully conducted at all 42 polling stations. “It was heartening to see that we had a good number of females and youth coming out to vote for their candidates”, he said.
Officials from district administration Bandipora also visited to assess the overall voting process and interacted with the public at several places.
Drugmulla DDC constituency spanning over 42 polling stations with 32, 000 voters, witnessed 5624 males and 5109 females voting for their candidates. The Hajin (A) seat with 28 polling stations and 16000 voters, saw 8690 people, among whom were 4708 males and 3982 females, using their voting rights.
The polling has sealed the fate of 10 candidates for DDC Drugmulla constituency – Hameeda Begum (Apni Party), Shabnum Rehman (PAGD candidate), Shabroza Hassan (Indian National Congress), Shakeela Akhter (Bharatiya Janata Party), Adv. Aamina Majeed (Independent), Hafeeza Begum (Independent), Rifat Jan (Independent), Rafeeqa Bano (Independent), Saima Begum (Independent) and Gulshan Begum (Independent).
For Hajin (A) in Bandipora, five candidates in fray are Zahida Begum (Independent), Ateeqa Bano (Peoples Conference), Aabida Bano (Independent), Naza Bano (Independent) and Kulsooma Begum (Bharatiya Janata Party).
The counting would be conducted on December 8 and the poll process shall conclude on December 12.
The DDC elections took place in December 2020. The counting of votes was withheld in Drugmulla and Hajin (A) owing to ‘disputed credentials’ of two candidates – Soomia Sadaf and Shazia Aslam. The State Election Commission (SEC) declared the polling in these constituencies as void, cancelling the candidature of both the candidates and directed for re-poll on the two seats.
Counting for both the Constituencies will be held on 8th December.
According to ARO Migrants, Dr Riyaz Ahmed there was no Kashmiri Pandit vote for Hajin DDC while 2430 registered votes were for Drugmulla constituency.
He said for Drugmulla, 141 migrant votes were polled physically at two polling stations at Jagti and Patta Bohri. However , no migrant voter turned up for voting at special polling booth created at Udhampur where 20 migrant voters of Drugmulla constituency were registered.
The ARO said at Special polling booth created at Bohri 101 migrants cast their vote while 40 migrants cast their vote at Jagti. Besides, 317 migrants exercised their franchise through postal ballot facility created by Government for them.
He said the total turnout of the migrant votes for the Drugmulla constituency was 18 percent while the voting percentage through secret ballot was 5.8 percent. Terming the migrant voting percentage for Drugmulla constituency good this time, he said during the previous elections only 22 migrant votes were polled for this constituency.
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