Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Apr 17: Despite chilly weather conditions in the morning and heavy downpour during the day, a lot of enthusiasm was witnessed among the voters in Kishtwar township in today’s polling for Kathua-Udhampur-Doda Parliamentary Constituency.
The rush of voters was seen on various polling stations in this township from early in the morning as polling started at 7am. In some of the polling stations voters were seen standing in long queues from early morning while in some polling stations the voter turnout in the morning hours was very poor which on the passage of day increased tremendously and people were seen in long queues waiting for their turn to cast their vote.
The authorities had made tight security arrangements for today’s polling and heavy deployment of CRPF and J&K Police was made in the town as well as on the polling booths to avert any untoward incident. To ensure tension free and incident free polling the services of Anganwari workers and ASHA workers were also utilized for frisking of women voters at polling stations.
However the polarization was witnessed in today’s voting with people of majority community openly saying that they will vote for Congress candidate having some reservations against the BJP while those of minority community wanted to vote for a change at Centre to rid the nation from scams, growing unemployment, rising prices, terrorism. This division among the people was witnessed at every polling station of the town and people who were returning from polling booths after casting their vote or going to cast their vote did not keep their loyalties secret.
Even the first time voters of two communities were of the same opinion. While those from majority were openly favouring Congress candidate and not the Party saying that he is the son of the soil and had taken some revolutionary steps as Chief Minister of State by creating new districts and launching many developmental projects. But this was rejected by minority community who said Kishtwar was at receiving end so far as development is concerned and Congress leader who was a Union Minister and MP for last 40 years never bothered to mitigate the sufferings of the people with the result this hilly belt sans development.
They wanted to vote for a change at Centre to install a strong Government that can come upto the expectations of youth and make India strong.
Sonia Devi Sharma, a Degree Part IInd student who cast her vote at Polling Station 23 M ,Matta A Kishtwar said that she wanted an honest Government, a strong and dedicated Prime Minister at Centre as the country has been looted over the years by Congress led UPA. “This is high time for us to install a Government which will be headed by a strong man who can do something better for the country”, she added.
At this Polling Station 520 votes out of 889 were polled up to 1-30 pm and many people were seen rushing to polling station to cast their vote. Over 100 people of Matta staged a protest outside the polling booth alleging that local Booth Level Officer deliberately deleted the names of the voters from the voter list and did not distribute the voter slips among the people of the area. They ghearoed the BLO Mohammed Ali out side the polling booth demanding his immediate suspension and alleged that the same was done by him on the behest of a particular political party to deprive the voters from casting their vote.
The villagers even did not disperse after the intervention of the Police and warned to launch agitation in case the action was not taken against BLO. They also made an appeal to Chief Electoral Officer to probe the matter.
At Polling Station Lachkhazana in outskirts of Kishtwar town 390 votes were polled out of 688 up to 1-10 pm. At PS 28 GHS Bandarna 575 votes were polled out of 1181 upto 12-45 pm. Salma a 19 year old physically challenged girl also cast her vote with support of crutches at this polling booth.
At PS 29 GMS Hullkirtar Lach Dayaram 371 votes were polled by 12-30 pm while at PS 27 Lachkhazana .
At Lachkhazana B 459 voters had polled their votes out of 1071 upto 1-30 pm. And large number of people were waiting in queue for their turn. A 86 year old Parkash Ram who was walking with the help of a stick was assisted by his son to cast his vote. Ram was very enthusiastic to see a new Government at Centre saying that despite his ill health he wanted to exercise his right to vote for a change.
Another old man Ravinder Nath who was also going to cast his vote said that they wanted to see a change of guard at Centre so that poor people have a solace as they have been crushed by rising prices.
At PS Sangranchata in outskirts of Kishtwar town where 564 voters had cast their votes out of 950 upto 1-40 pm and there was lot of enthusiasm among the people from both the communities. Though both were going to vote in different directions still they had no grudge against each other and were counting the achievements of their respective parties.
Heavy rush was witnessed at PS Matta C where 417 out of 691 people had exercised their right to franchise upto 2-15 pm. While some were waiting for their turn and others were on their way to polling booth. At Matta B 415 voters had polled their votes out of 684 upto 215 pm.
At polling Station Puchal which is saffron land of Kishtwar district a dozen of youth who were going to vote for first time were raising pro Modi slogans saying that they voted for change at Centre so that a strong Government is in place that will come to the expectations of the people. They all were the students of BA Part II and III.
However Mohammed Ilyas another student of B A Part-II who was also going to cast his vote at Town Hall Polling Station in Kishtwar township early morning said that he too favours a change for installation of a strong man as Prime Minister at Centre. But he should guarantee the nation that there will be no another Gujarat in future.
Abdul Samad an octogenarian and a retired Government servant who too was also going to cast his vote at town hall polling station said that two communities will cast their vote in opposite direction and this is fall out of August 9 Kishtwar violence. Giving a clean chit to majority community, he said they are unnecessarily blamed for these riots as they were offering Eid prayers at that time and there were small children who indulged in violence while the Majority community was also exonerated by the one man Commission.
He regretted that minority community since then has a grudge against majority community and this led to a division in the votes.
Gulab Kraiyipak a social activist of Kishtwar who has all regrets for the August 9 violence said that the people who are traditional residents of Kishtwar belonging to both the communities have no grudge against each other but they are the migrants from far flung areas of Kishtwar villages who settled in the town for last over one decade who are vitiating peaceful atmosphere here.
Kriyaiyipak, who cast his vote at Veterinary Hospital polling booth No 5 said that Congress will get a lead of over one lakh votes from Chinab Valley because of personnel influence of Azad. It depends now from the trend in Kathua, Udhampur and Reasi districts in deciding the fate of the candidates, he added.
He said the PDP too will not cut much ice here as its votes will also go to Congress way due to personnel influence of Azad.
At Veterinary Hospital Kishtwar two booths were kept one for ladies and one for gents. While at gents booth rush was from 7 am in the morning at ladies booth the rush increased in the afternoon. However due to heavy downpour from 3-30 pm in the town voters preferred to remain indoors but till then over 50 percent had cast their vote.
There were many complaints by the voters that there names were missing in the lists and they were unable to cast their votes. Some alleged that names of booths were also changed and voters were not apprised of the same which led to their problems.
Satish Kumar of son of Som Nath holding I Card no BK M0038038 of Ward 8 Kishtwar said he was not allowed to cast his vote as his name was missing in he list.
Sunil Sharma, who had come to cast his vote at Veterinary polling booth Kishtwar said that his name was missing in the list though his name was existing as SNo 304 at booth 11 in previous list. He said the name of his cousin Raman Sharma SNo 307 also missing in the voter lists while the names of Ashwani Sharma and Sudershan Sharma were also missing in the list. Sunil and his relatives who had made a complaint with Election authorities of the district and despite their letter to the concerned and local administrator to sort the issue and include their names which were inadvertently detached nothing was done by the concerned authorities in this regard.
He alleged that names bogus voters in the serial number 1226, to 1230 were included who are non State Subjects and the bonafide voters were deleted.
Rajesh Kumar a social activist while expressing concern over the polarisation and communal divide in the district said the first and foremost duty of new MP should be to visit here and try to bridge the gap between the two communities and send a strong message across the country that people of Kishtwar cherish secular values.
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