Huge rush in front of polling booths during morning hours
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 11: As the first phase of Lok Sabha elections was held today, a high enthusiasm was seen among voters to cast their votes from early in the morning in Jammu city and its suburbs with hundreds of voters including youth and women were seen standing in long queues in front of their respective polling booths to cast their votes.
As the voting started at 7 am sharp majority of voters tried to reach at their polling stations 15 minutes earlier than the voting time i e at 6.45 am in their bid to cast the vote during the first two hours of the polling in the morning to avoid the scorching heat later. Though enthusiasm was seen among the every age group of voters including the old men as no body liked to miss his chance to exercise his democratic right, the first time voters and youth were however, very much enthusiastic.
The youth doing the professional training outside the State had made it a point that they should not miss the date to cast their vote and take part in strengthening the democracy of their country. “Casting the vote is my fundamental right and prime duty so that I can choose the representative of my choice whom I think can serve the people and country better”, said Sonu Khajuria an engineering student studying in a private engineering college in Faridabad, Haryana.
“Though our examinations are round the corner and I do not have the time to miss my classes but I made it a point to cast my vote in strengthening the democratic process of my country”, said Sonu. He reached Jammu early in the morning by bus from Delhi and he is leaving in the evening by train to join the classes tomorrow after casting his vote. He said “to my conscience the casting of vote was my first and foremost duty which I could not miss”.
Same were views of Palvi a B Pharmacy student in Deharadun who too reached Jammu last evening to ensure to cast her vote in one of the polling booths in Jammu East. Palvi a first time voter said that she could not have forgotten herself if she could not cast the vote this time as she was among the newly registered voters. “The youth have added responsibility towards their nation and motherland and participation in the democratic process is their first duty so that they can shape their own as well as the future of their nation”, she added.
The huge queues of voters were seen in front of every polling station in Jammu East, Jammu West, Gandhi Nagar and Raipur Damana from early in the morning as voters wanted to cast their votes during the morning hours so that they will not get exposed to scorching heat during the day by waiting in long queues.
At some polling stations there was such a huge rush that some voters who could not wait in queues left to come later in the day for casting the vote. Some voters including old men and women who could not get the private transport were seen coming on foot by travelling two to three kms in the morning to cast their votes.
Bearing all trouble and traveling two to three kms they made it a point not to miss the opportunity to cast their vote. Some voters were enquiring from the passers by the location of the area and the polling station. A section of voters of Sharda Colony Patoli, Brahmana had to beat a hasty retreat from the polling stations of Barnai situated in Darmal Primary School as their name did not exist in the official voters list there. “We were told that your polling booth is in Darmal Primary School but the officials on duty at polling station said that our polling booth falls in Government School Patoli Brahmana” , they added.
The rush in front of polling booths declined after the rising of the day and by noon hardly there were 15 to 20 people seen in the lines waiting for their turn to cast their votes.
By 1 pm 50 percent voters had cast their votes in the three constituencies of Jammu city including Gandhi Nagar, Jammu East and Jammu West, besides Raipur Damana falling in the outskirts of the city.
The main thing in today’s voting was that the ratio of men and women in casting the vote was almost same in these constituencies as women did not like to lag behind their male partners in casting the vote.
People were highly appreciative of arrangements in front of polling booths by the administration and the process of casting the vote passed almost smoothly and incident free every where. The voters who came to cast their votes at Polling Booth No 131 New Plot in 73 Jammu West Assembly Segment and other two polling booths of Rehari and Sarwal were all praise of the administration for the arrangements.
Besides, the jawans of CRPF the local police were also deployed in front of polling booths to maintain vigil and ensure incident free polling. Every voter was allowed entry inside the polling booth after proper verification and identity.
However, the people including some BJP leaders protested in front of a polling booth at Barnai School against the undue harassment caused to some voters on the name of identification by one of the polling officers. The BJP leaders including Omi Khajuria president Jammu Rural of the party, Mangat Ram Gupta and Jagdev Singh alleged that two hours of polling was wasted by one polling officer on the pretext of identification of a voter. They raised a hue and cry at Polling Station and later the Magistrate on duty visited the spot and defused the situation.
The protestors alleged that 200 voters left without casting the vote due to the action of concerned Polling Officer. However, the Magistrate Harsh Kumar Sharma who reached the Polling Station defused the crisis and later voting passed smoothly for the day.
At Polling Station 75 B Patoli Brahmna in Raipur Damana Assembly Segment the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) developed a snag due to which polling was stopped for some time and people had to wait. When the voters outside the polling booth were asked about the cause of snag they said that when every one presses only one button so naturally it will cease functioning.
At various polling stations the party activists and relatives were seen accompanying the old and infirm people to their respective polling stations to cast their votes. Some lame people on crutches were seen in front of various polling stations waiting to cast their votes. At a polling station situated in Government High School Gurah Brahmana a bridegroom whose Yagnopavit ceremony was being performed today became the centre of attention of the people after he came in a the traditional religious dress to cast his vote.
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