The 4th phase of Assembly polls, and the last one for the Valley, concluded without any major untoward incident happening. Polling involved three districts of Kashmir valley and one district of Jammu region. In all 1473050 voters were to exercise their franchise in 18 Assembly constituencies for which 1890 polling stations had been set up and 8000 polling officers deployed.
In Kashmir, polling started on a low key owing to sub-zero temperature. But it gradually took up and became brisk as the day advanced. For the Election Commission and the administrative machinery, this was a trying day for the reason that the most sensitive 8 constituencies of Srinagar city were to go to polls where contest among the candidates was fierce and emotions were high. Knowing that miscreants would make attempts to disrupt polling, security machinery had made extraordinary security arrangements and deployments to thwart any attempt. However, there were some instances of stone throwing and group clashes mostly between the contesting party workers, which is a scenario not exclusive to the polling in Srinagar district. In overall estimation, polling in all the four districts has been peaceful and without any major incident.
This time voting in 18 Assembly constituencies has been 7 per cent more than what it was in 2008 elections. Average voting in 8 Assembly constituencies of Srinagar city was recorded at 28.91 per cent. Though not a very satisfactory status for the capital city of Srinagar yet it is higher in comparison to the percentage in 2008 Assembly elections. Voting percentage in other districts has been as this: Anantnag 61 percent, Shopian 50 percent and Samba 81 percent. Vijaypur recorded the highest turnout of 81.37 per cent. Out of 8 constituencies of Srinagar district, Habba Kadal constituency recorded the lowest turnout of 21.01 per cent and Sonwar wherefrom Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is fighting recorded the highest of 44.17 per cent. In all 182 candidates were in fray for 18 Assembly seats.
It will be reminded that our enemies from across the border tried their best to disrupt elections by unleashing violence either directly or through their conduits in the Valley much before the dates of polling. Alert security forces thwarted their designs. All credit goes to the stakeholders in this unique exercise. The security staff, police, administrative staff, Election Commission all were geared to the sensitivity of the exercise and managed it with inimitable efficiency. A few incidents of stone pelting and brawls among the activists of political parties that are in fray did happen and this is nothing unusual. Security forces and police jointly controlled the situation. EC had deployed a posse of observers of different levels and also monitored the entire exercise to make sure that polling was fair and without intimidation. Needless to say that the call of boycott of polls given by the separatists had only marginal impact because in comparison to similar calls given by them during 2008 Assembly elections, this time 7 per cent more turnout of voters was to be witnessed. A graph of turnout from 1996 to present elections will show that there is steady increase in the percentage of polling in the Valley and especially in the city of Srinagar. Therefore, one can say that defying physical threats from the militants and boycott calls from irresponsible separatist leaders, people in the Valley are gradually veering round the process of electing a Government of their choice through free and fearless electioneering. Percentage of turnout in Srinagar city may be around 28 but in other districts of the Valley it has been to the tune of around 60 per cent which is a powerful indicator that people in Kashmir are for peace and non-violence.
The 5th and the final phase of polling will commence on 20th of December and on 23rd December result of the voting will be announced. This year’s Christmas festival will usher in a new Government in the State of Jammu and Kashmir, a Government which the people of the State will have chosen out of their free will like previous Governments. Obviously, all political parties that are in the fray claim to emerge as winners and ready to form the Government. They also exude promises and expectations of solving the problems of people. Accusing the incumbent regimes of not addressing the problems of the people is the refrain of their public rallies and speeches. The change from the viewpoint of ordinary voters is that the quality of life should change. Economic life should improve, development should take place with speed, education, health care, employment, social services and clean and honest administration without corruption should be provided and this is what they mean by change. The mere fact that even the most powerful and influential regimes could be changed through the ballot is a lasting lesson which ordinary Kashmiris have taken in good spirit as the way forward. All that a deadly weapon called Kalashnikov- 47 did was to put thousands of youth in their premature graves without achieving the objective could be done by a simple piece of paper called ballot. This realisation is no mean achievement by any stretch of imagination.
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