Cong DDC candidate detained for questioning
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Dec 7: Despite cold weather and rains, large numbers of people voted in fourth phase of DDC polls held here today with Valley recording a turnout of only 31.95% as in many areas people didn’t vote.
In Kashmir valley Ganderbal district topped with the total polling percentage at 56.28 percent and lowest turnout was in Shopian district that registered 1.96% polling as 17 DDC constituencies went for polls today in fourth phase.
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In the 17 DDC constituencies of the Kashmir division, 138 candidates, including 48 women, were in the fray with 3, 67, 173 people casting their vote.
The polling was held under tight security with security forces guarding the polling stations and Army providing area domination for smooth conduct of the polls.
And security forces in Shopian district of South Kashmir has detained a DDC candidate of Congress party for allegedly ferrying militants in his vehicle on polling day.
An official said they suspect that Gouhar Hussain Wani was ferrying militants and was detained for questioning by security forces.
He said that security forces had inputs that militants were traveling in a car and when 44 RR of Army intercepted it at Baba Khader Rampura Chowk in Trenz area of Shopian district, the militants escaped and left vehicle at Pargachoo in Shopian.
He said that the Congress candidate Gowhar jumped out of the vehicle when the car was intercepted and played the victim. He said that he has history of supporting militants and has been working as an OGW of militants. He said that Wani is being questioned and an operation has been launched to trace out the militants.
In Kupwara district, despite rains voters in long queues were waiting outside the polling stations to cast their vote.
At Gotengu area of Kupwara district 63 year old Ghulam Hassan Baba said that for last three decades, he had been voting but those who came to power have never delivered the promise. The area had decided to boycott the vote but finally hoping against the hope they decided to cast their ballot.
“I am witnessing elections for last more than 27 years now and I have not seen anyone being loyal to people. They get our votes and after that, we don’t see them; everyone has failed us. The representatives that we used to choose never cared for the people who voted for them.
We had decided to boycott the polls-the entire area had-but then we thought why not to give a chance to the new faces and let us see how different are they going to perform. We are hopeful that the new faces will be able to deliver this time and put an end to our miseries”, he said.
A young voter Bashir Ahmad at Drugmulla’s Dedikoot village in district Kupwara said that for them the main issue is of Article 370. “We are voting for the alliance candidate; people want that the 370 and 35-A should be restored and that’s the reason that people have come out to cast their votes today. Today’s election is that of the ground level-there are educated youth who are participating, unlike panchayat where the majority of the candidates were uneducated. These new faces know what to do”, he said.
He said that the majority of the people are voting for an independent candidate to give him a chance. “The PAGD should have taken a decision from the ground level while choosing the candidates for this area, but they decided on their own and gave a ticket to someone who has been participating in the elections and has done nothing. Due to that reason, people are not satisfied with them and are voting for independent candidates as well”, he said.
At Drugmulla in Kupwara, Somia Sadaf of Muzaffarbad, a PoK national, and wife of ex-militant who is contesting independently alleged unfear means being adopted at Polling Stations. “I have seen it happen that the supporters of the candidates are guiding the voters and are directed them to whom they should vote. This should not happen and is open violations of rules. I have seen it through my eyes. I have brought it into the notice of the Presiding Officer”, she said. She hoped that people will vote for her. “I don’t know who is going to win, but I am sure that people will vote for me. However, at the same time, the authorities must keep a check on such violations”, she said.
The voters in Binlipora village of Aloosa Panchayat block in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district today alleged that the BJP district president disrupted polling for about half an hour as he wanted the voters to cast ballots in favour of the party candidate.
A group of voters, said that BJP district president Abdul Rahman Thekri, disrupted the polling at Binlipora polling station as he wanted the voters to cast vote in favour of his party.
They said that the BJP leader went inside the polling station and stopped polling for about half an hour. “He wanted the voters to cast votes in favour of his party as visibly no one was casting votes in their favour. He visited the polling station around 10 times and later disrupted the polling. This is hooliganism, they are threatening us,” the voters, who had queued up inside at a polling station in Binlipora to cast their votes, alleged.
However, Thekri said that he went to the polling station as some employee posted there were asking voters to cast votes in favour of a particular party. “I did not disrupt the polling. I only went there to inquire what was happening,” he said.
Despite rains, long queues of voters were seen outside the polling stations in Surasyar and Narbal block of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district today.
Voters said that better development of tourist resorts and good jobs were the two main reasons for them to take part in the District Development Council (DDC) polls.
“We are voting for the benefit of our village. We want development in our area,” said a voter from Surasyar, Budgam.
A voter Ajaz Ahmad from Budgam that their village is in a great need of better road connectivity. “We want to see our roads as good. It takes us 3 hours to reach Srinagar due to bad roads otherwise it will just take an an hour if the roads were better,” he said.
Zooni, a voter from Chadoora Budgam said that many of their problems are pending since long. “We decided to cast our votes to put an end to our problems,” she said.
Abid Mir from Budgam who was waiting in a queue told Excelsior that these elections are important for Kashmir as they may help in development.
“The issues that the people of Kashmir are facing after the abrogation of Article 370 are very important. The promises of the BJP about development turned out to be hollow. There is unemployment which is touching new heights every day. The BJP during the time of earlier Governor Satya Pal Malik had promised jobs, but nothing was done at all. Educated youth have got no source of employment”, he said.
Zahoor Ahmad Sheikh, an Independent candidate, in Narbal area told Excelsior that he will focus on the poor people. “I have met them they will vote for me. The absence of better roads and the absence of drinking water is the main issue that the people of this area are facing. I will make sure that these issues are resolved if I am elected. Those who have been ruling us for decades have not benefitted the people at all. I will make sure that I work for the betterment of the people in the area. The decision of conducting the DDC election was right as there was no one to listen to the issues of the people”, he said.
In Pulwama, majority of the people stayed away from voting as they said that there is no trustworthy politician whom they can trust and vote.
“So better is stay away from polls,” said Danish Ahmad.
“We tried everyone but on ground no body works for the welfare of people rather they only know looting government exchequer in whatever way they can”, he said.
He said that for 70 years, political parties have been getting votes for safeguarding the special status of J&K but they failed to do so and are now seeking votes for its restoration. “All have failed to protect even when they were in absolute majority,” he said.
Nawaz Ahmad, a resident of Kapran in district Shopian said that regional parties and Congress were voted for 70 years but they even failed to provide them basic issues so how can they vote them again.
“We can’t vote for BJP who forcibly snatched everything from us. So we have no choice,” he said.
Altaf Ahmad, a resident of Tahab area of Pulwama said that majority of the people don’t know what elections are going on and who is contesting as they are least interested in it.
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