WPRs, Valmikis, Gorkhas celebrate as they cast vote for Ist time
* Peaceful, participative polls in J&K are historic : CEC
* Akhnoor tops in turnout, Jammu West at bottom
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 1: Even as brisk polling was recorded in all rural segments, all but two of the 24 Assembly seats spread over four districts of Jammu division which went to polls in third and final phase of voting today registered decline in the percentage as compared to 2014 Assembly elections. Polling in four City constituencies of Jammu district including Jammu East and West, Bahu and Jammu South-RS Pura was far less than the seats in rural belt.
Akhnoor (79.70 percent) and Marh and Chhamb seats (79 percent each) topped in voting while Jammu West finished at bottom with 57.65 pc polling.
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Polling percentage for 40 seats in third and final phase stood at 68.72 while the turnout for all 90 seats in three phases was 63.45 percent (tentative).
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Of four districts which went to polls today, Udhampur topped with 75.87 percent turnout followed by 75.22 percent in Samba, 72.23 percent in Kathua and 70.25 percent in Jammu.
RS Pura-Jammu South recorded a decline of 12 percent as compared to 2014 Assembly elections though it has been realigned during the delimitation process. Other seats where turnout went down from 2014 polls were Kathua (8 percent), Suchetgarh and Jammu West (7 percent), Nagrota (6 percent), Bahu (5 percent) and Jammu East (4 percent).
In 2014 polls; Jammu, Samba, Kathua and Udhampur districts together accounted for 21 Assembly constituencies. However, a each seat was increased in Samba, Kathua and Udhampur districts after delimitation taking total number of constituencies to 24.
Chhamb and Chenani were the only two segments which recorded more turnout today as against 2014 polls. Turnout was up in Chhamb by 2.5 percent while it increased by 1.5 percent in Chenani.
However, the polling remained completely peaceful and no untoward incident was reported from any of the 24 Assembly constituencies. With today’s voting, the polling has been completed in all 90 seats of J&K and counting of votes will take place on October 8.
Minor glitches in EVMs and normal issues among supporters of rival candidates were reported from some booths but they were resolved timely and the polling concluded smoothly.
Fate of many bigwigs including former Ministers, legislators and officers contesting the elections was locked in the EVMs.
The Assembly election especially in Jammu district will be remembered for the years by West Pakistani refugees, Valmikis and Gorkhas who cast their votes for the first time in the Assembly polls as they were not treated as citizens of Jammu and Kashmir for over 70 years till the BJP Government abrogated Article 370 on August 5, 2019.
In Jammu district’s 11 segments, Bishnah (SC) recorded 74.00 per cent polling, Suchetgarh (SC) 71.00 per cent, R S Pura-Jammu South 65.00 per cent, Bahu 60.51 per cent, Jammu East 62.00 per cent, Nagrota 77.7 per cent, Jammu West 57.65 per cent, and Jammu North 72.00 per cent, Akhnoor (SC) 79.70 per cent, Marh (SC) 79.00 per cent and Chhamb 79.00 per cent.
In the six seats of Kathua district, Bani recorded 71.24 per cent voter turnout, Billawar 69.64 per cent, Basohli 67.24 per cent, Jasrota 71.79 per cent, Kathua (SC) 71.49 per cent and Hiranagar 71.18 per cent.
In Udhampur district’s four segments, Udhampur West recorded 76.92 per cent, Udhampur East 77.00 per cent, Chenani 76.82 per cent and Ramnagar (SC) 72.35 per cent polling.
In the three seats of Samba district, Ramgarh (SC) recorded 76.50 per cent polling, Samba 72.90 per cent and Vijaypur 76.42 per cent.
“J&K Assembly elections have marked a significant deepening of democracy which will echo in the pages of history and continue to inspire a democratic spirit of the region for years to come,” Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said in a statement after successful conclusion of voting in all 90 seats.
He dedicated the elections to the people of Jammu and Kashmir acknowledging their determination and belief in the democratic process.
“The peaceful and participative elections are historic, wherein democracy is taking root more profoundly than ever before, driven by the will of people of J&K,” he said.
The commission said meticulous planning and constant vigil by it has ensured that the elections this time have been smooth and streamlined, with no repolls recorded so far.
“Despite an increase in the number of Assembly constituencies from 83 in 2014 to 90 in 2024, the elections were completed in three phases this time as against five phases in 2014.
“No major law and order incidents related to the election were reported, a significant improvement from 2014 when over 170 incidents were reported, including 87 on polling days,” the commission said.
It said there have been no complaints pertaining to arbitrary preventive detention of political functionaries in these elections which is unprecedented.
The commission had also strictly instructed against clubbing of polling stations just before the poll day, and accordingly, voters voted at their actual polling station location as opposed to 98 polling stations shifted in 2014 at the eleventh hour.
The role of money and muscle power has been curtailed to a significant extent. Vigilance and seizures have been fortified by the coordinated efforts of the enforcement agencies resulting in seizures worth Rs 130 crores, the highest ever in the history of Jammu and Kashmir elections and even surpassing Rs 100.94 crore figure during Lok Sabha Elections 2024.
The bulk of seizures included drugs worth Rs 110.45 crore, the commission said
These assembly polls have seen a seven per cent increase in the number of candidates contesting as compared to the Assembly elections in 2014.
Women candidates made a significant leap, increasing from 28 to 43 in the corresponding period, while independent candidates saw a 26 per cent rise.
Registered Unrecognized Political Parties (RUPPs) also demonstrated a remarkable 71 per cent increase in participation from 138 in 2014 to 236 in 2024, the EC said.
Meanwhile, West Pakistan refugees, Valmikis and Gorkhas cast their votes for the first time in all 24 seats of Jammu division in the Assembly elections as earlier they could vote only in the Parliamentary polls and not the State elections as they were not given citizenship rights till the BJP Government scrapped special status of J&K on August 5, 2019.
Ruldu Ram’s joy knew no bounds after he voted for the first time in his life at the age of 90, nearly eight decades after migrating from Pakistan during the Partition. He was among hundreds of West Pakistan refugees in the border town of R S Pura who cast their votes for the Assembly elections. They also voted in rest of the districts.
“I voted for the first time. I was not entitled to vote before. We came from West Pakistan in 1947,” he said.
This marks a historic moment for many who have long lacked political representation in the J&K Assembly for the past 75 years.
Around 1.5 to 2 lakh people residing in various areas of Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts, particularly in the border regions, members of three communities – West Pakistan refugees (WPR), Valmikis, and Gorkhas – finally have domicile status following the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A.
This made them natives of J&K and therefore they got rights to vote in the Assembly elections, employment, education and land ownership. In July of this year, the J&K administration decided to grant proprietary rights to WPR families for the State land allocated to them during their resettlement after the 1947 migration.
“For us, it is a national festival today. It is a red-letter day in the history of these three communities, particularly West Pakistan refugees. We became part of true democracy in Jammu and Kashmir as we exercise our right to vote for the first time in our lifetime today,” president of the West Pakistan Refugees Action Committee Labha Ram Gandhi said.
“Credit goes to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for revoking Article 370, which enabled us to become voters of Jammu and Kashmir. We are grateful to them,” he added.
According to records, 5,764 families of WPRs settled in various parts of Jammu after escaping West Pakistan during the Partition in 1947. The number of WPRs has increased to over 22,000 families or 1.5-2 lakh individuals.
Ahead of voting day in the final phase of polls in J&K, West Pakistan refugees celebrated by carrying out a parade through the markets in R S Pura’s Purnapind area as hundreds of community members danced to beats of dhols and bands.
They visited a temple, offered prayers and exchanged sweets on the occasion. Similar scenes of celebration were witnessed in Samba and Akhnoor as well.
Enthusiasm was high among WPR voters at several polling booths in Charka, Bishnah, Chabbay Chak, Bhour Pind, Maira Mandrian, Kot Ghari and Akhnoor in the Jammu and Samba districts.
Fifty-two-year-old Parveen Kumar, whose family had fled during the Partition and camped in R S Pura’s Bhour camp area, voted at Bhour Pind.
He said, “The decades-old curse has been lifted today as we become voters of J&K. My father Nirmal Chand was a matriculate when they came here. He did not get any job when in 1947, a matriculate could secure positions like Tehsildars and officers. He was forced to do labour to feed his family. Who is responsible for that?”
“It was all because of Article 370, which barred us from becoming citizens of J&K. But we are thankful to Narendra Modi, who changed our fate. It is a festival for us. This day will be etched in the memory of all of us,” Kumar added.
Mohinder Kumar, whose family came from Jhelum town in Pakistan and settled in Jammu, arrived with his son Ankit to vote at the Gandhi Nagar Polling Station.
“We lived under the symbol of the half-moon and star (Pakistan flag) for 75 years in Jammu and Kashmir. There was a black spot on our foreheads. Today, it has been removed by the Central Government. It is a national festival for us,” Kumar said.
Sikh Magar Singh (80), whose family came from a village in Pakistan after losing four family members to communal violence there in 1947, said the first generation who migrated are voting along with the young generation for the first time in the Assembly elections.
“We thank the Prime Minister for restoring the respect and dignity of over 2 lakh people by granting them citizenship. It restored all our rights, including the right to vote, the right to jobs, and the right to own land. It is a moment of celebration for us,” he said.
Twenty-year old Trishika and her grandmother Sarveshwari Devi voted at a Polling Station in the border area of Akhnoor.
Around 2,000 members of the Gorkha community in Jammu’s Gorkha Nagar, too, were brimming with excitement now that they have voting rights.
Their ancestors migrated from Nepal to J&K decades ago to serve alongside the former Dogra Army. Even today, most families have at least one family member who is a war veteran.
“It was a dream come true for me and my family to vote in the assembly elections. We express our gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for transforming our fortunes here. Thanks to their bold decision to revoke Article 370, we are now citizens of J&K,” Suresh Chhetri said.
Long denied the right to vote, members of the Valmiki community also exercised their franchise for the first time in the Assembly elections today and termed it as a “historic moment”.
The Valmikis were originally brought to J-K in 1957 from Punjab’s Gurdaspur district for sanitation work by the State Government.
“I am a first-time voter at the age of 45. In my lifetime, we are thrilled and filled with enthusiasm to participate in J-K’s Assembly elections for the first time. It is like a big festival for us,” Gharu Bhati, who voted at a polling station in Jammu, said.
Bhati, who has led efforts for over 15 years to secure citizenship rights for his community said, “This is a festival for the entire Valmiki community. We have voters as old as 80 and as young as 18. Two generations before us were denied this right, but justice prevailed when Article 370 was abrogated, granting us citizenship of J-K.”
“For decades, our community, brought here for sanitation work, was denied basic rights, including the right to vote and citizenship of J-K. It is a historic moment for the entire Valmiki community,” he said.
Approximately 12,000 members of the community residing in Gandhi Nagar and Dogra Hall areas were previously deprived voting rights, education, job opportunities, and land ownership due to absence of a state subject certificate.
“Two generations of our people have lived without these rights, but justice prevailed with the abrogation of Article 370. We were once a dark spot on Jammu and Kashmir’s justice and constitutional framework. Today, as part of the largest democracy in the world, Valmiki Samaaj, West Pakistan refugees, and Gorkha communities have finally gained their constitutional rights after 75 years,” Bhati said.
“Today, we are voting. Tomorrow, we will represent our people. This marks the beginning of a new era in our lives. We will bring our issues to the Assembly. Imagine, a member of our community, who once only saw scavenging as their fate, can now aspire to be an MLA or even a minister. That’s the magnitude of change we’re witnessing,” he said.
Standing in a long queue, 19-year-old Komal shared the same sentiment, saying, “I am fortunate to vote. My 74-year-old grandmother is also voting today. I’m happy that the era of injustice and discrimination has ended.”
Another community member, 22-year old Aikta Mathoo along with his 53-year-old father, a sanitation worker, cast his vote at the Gandhi Nagar Polling Station.
“We both are voting for the first time. My father failed to vote in past elections. He could not get a better job here. Now I aspire to become a judge. The credit goes to the Central Government, which abrogated Article 370 and made us citizens in J-K,” he said.
The primary demand of the Valmiki community is improvement in their living conditions.
With their newfound voting rights, they are optimistic about advocating for better housing, education, and employment opportunities for the community.
Earlier in the day, Union Minister of State in the PMO Dr Jitendra Singh cast his vote at Gandhi Nagar.
Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chairman and former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad was also among the early voters here. He said that unemployment is the biggest issue in the Union Territory but it has not been given due attention by both regional and national parties.
Azad cast his vote at Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Gandhi Nagar in the first hour of polling.
“Every voter, whether male or female, elderly or young, should come out to vote because this election is happening after a long gap of 10 years… It is their choice who they want to vote for, which party or candidate, but they should vote,” he said.
Several former Ministers and candidates were among those who exercised their franchise at various polling stations.
After casting his vote, senior BJP leader and candidate for the Nagrota Assembly segment, Devendder Singh Rana, predicted that the BJP Government would assume power in Jammu and Kashmir.
He cited the developmental initiatives spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as pivotal to the electorate’s support.
Rana expressed gratitude to the Election Commission, administration, and security forces for ensuring free and fair elections in Jammu and Kashmir, and said “this marks a triumph for democracy as J-K undergoes transformation.”
“Democracy has prevailed in Jammu and Kashmir. The people have defeated Pakistan-sponsored terrorism,” former Minister and BJP candidate for Jammu North, Sham Lal Sharma said after casting his vote here.
Former Minister and candidate for Ramgarh constituency in Samba district, Dr Devender Kumar Manyal, who along with his family cast his vote here, said, “The BJP will emerge victorious in Jammu and Kashmir. We will win this election with a majority.”
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