Friday, 22 November 2024
Friday, 22 November 2024
This Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir is one of many firsts.
The second phase – held on Wednesday – of the first state elections since the abrogation of Article 370 witnessed a historic first as New Delhi arranged for a group of foreign diplomats to see the polls first-hand.
The delegation of diplomats from 16 countries were from Delhi-based missions of the US, Mexico, Guyana, South Korea, Somalia, Panama, Singapore, Nigeria, Spain, South Africa, Norway, Tanzania, Rwanda, Algeria, and the Philippines.
This election has also witnessed a surge in voter turnout. The first phase recorded a turnout of 59 per cent, the highest in the past seven Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
On Wednesday, 54 per cent of the electorate cast their vote till 4 pm.
The voting began at 7 am across 26 Assembly constituencies spread over six districts – Budgam, Ganderbal, Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi, and Srinagar in 3,502 polling stations.
Jorgan K. Andrews, the deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Delhi, told PTI he was “excited to see the results” and “the enthusiasm” of the people.
“It looks very healthy and very democratic," he was quoted as saying.
For this phase, 157 special polling stations were established - 26 'pink polling stations' managed by women, 26 polling stations managed by specially abled persons, 26 polling stations supervised by youths, 31 border polling stations, 26 green polling stations and 22 unique polling stations.
South Korean diplomat Sang Woo Lim thought the idea of ‘pink polling station’ was “very ingenuous.”
“It is my first time here in Kashmir,” Lim told PTI. “I am happy to be here as a part of the MEA delegation. I see it is a beautiful place and people are very nice. It is special to witness how democracy works.”
Singapore deputy head of the mission in Delhi Cheng Wei Wei Alice said the process was similar to how elections are conducted in her country. “We use government buildings for polling stations so that it is easily accessible to voters," she told PTI.
Omar Abdullah, vice president of the National Conference, who contested from the Ganderbal and Budgam seats, took exception to the arrival of the foreign delegates on the Centre's invitation.
"I don't know why foreigners should be asked to check elections here," Abdullah told PTI.
"This participation [high voter turnout] is not because of the government of India, it is in spite of everything that the government of India did,” he added. “They have humiliated people, [and] they have used all the machinery of the government to detain and harass people.”
During a rally at Dal Lake in Srinagar on September 22, addressing the National Conference's pre-poll alliance with the Congress, Omar Abdullah had said there would be "no hung Assembly" and that a government would "be formed" to end governor Manoj Sinha's rule in J&K.
Mehbooba Mufti, chief of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), was certain of the end of Sinha's rule following the polls too.
"The government will be secular and without the PDP no government will be formed in Jammu and Kashmir. In the [first phase of the ] elections held in south Kashmir, the PDP is emerging as the number one party," Mufti claimed.
The PDP allied with the BJP in 2015, but the alliance broke up in 2018. Later, Narendra Modi labelled the Mufti, Abdullah, and Gandhi families as "anti-national." In her latest dig at the BJP, Mufti held the saffron party accountable for making "hollow promises" in Jammu & Kashmir.
"Big leaders from BJP come here...the Prime Minister comes, the Home Minister comes, but they only oppose us. They have nothing to offer to the people," Mufti said.
Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina, who cast his vote in his Nowshera constituency in the Rajouri district, was confident that the BJP would “win with a thumping majority and form the government in Jammu and Kashmir”.
“There is peace on the borders which used to see daily firing and shelling, disrupting the normal life of lakhs of border residents,” Ravinder Raina said.
National leaders all urged the people of Jammu and Kashmir to vote for their party. Modi wrote on X, "I appeal to all voters that they must cast their votes and play an important role in strengthening democracy.”
Amit Shah said, "Vote today to strengthen democracy and to free Jammu and Kashmir from terrorism, nepotism and corruption.”
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said: "Your every vote for INDIA will break the chakravyuh [vicious circle] of injustice created by the BJP and will bring Jammu and Kashmir on the path of prosperity."
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, said, "When you press the voting button on the EVM, do think about how your decade was lost in betrayal. A state was downgraded to a Union Territory for the first time in history. There is widespread unemployment and rampant corruption, with land rights and social justice issues becoming prevalent."
The first phase of voting had take place on September 18. The third and last phase of voting is scheduled for October 1. Counting of votes will be taken up on October 8 along with the Haryana Assembly elections.
(with inputs from PTI)
