Pulwama, Shopian hobble past finish line on last leg of election

Amid heightened security, with unprecedented deployment of security forces and internet shutdown, Pulwama and Shopian districts of Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency recorded an abysmal voting percentage. Upto 3 pm, Pulwama and Shopian districts saw 1.91 per cent and 2.64 per cent voter turnout respectively, according to the chief electoral office, Jammu & Kashmir.

With Hurriyat leaders calling for a poll boycott, both the districts witnessed complete shutdown on May 6. Many feared to come out and vote. And those who voted feared they would face social boycott if others got to know about it.

“The condition is very bad. Despite villagers calling for a poll boycott, I voted because I worry about the security situation in the state,” said a truck driver who came to vote in Drangbal, Pampore area in Pulwama district of South Kashmir.

The first voter in the same booth, a college student said that she voted against the BJP’s decision to scrap Article 370 of the Constitution that grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti, former Jammu and Kashmir High Court judge and National Conference candidate Hasnain Masood, Congress state president Ghulam Ahmad Mir, BJP’s Sofi Yousuf and 15 others are in fray.

In many polling booths The Federal visited, barely three to four votes were cast in the first four hours of polling. Many voters gathered near the polling booths but decided not to cast their votes. In many booths, the number of polling officials, police and armed force personnel were more than the number of voters.

At several locations, the election commission relocated the polling booths for security reasons. In Kapapora area of Pulwama, 13 polling booths were in one government school. And in Pinglena, nine polling booths were put together.

Many voters had to travel 5-6 km to cast their votes and, hence, decided not to vote even if they wished to exercise their franchise.

Speaking to The Federal, Syed Abid Rashid, district development commissioner of Pulwama said, upon the recommendation of the state police, and approval of the contesting political parties in the region, they relocated the polling booths. The officer claimed that despite the relocation, the polling booths were within the mandated 2-km range.

In a first, Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency went to polls in three phases spread over Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama districts. The last two districts were part of the last leg of the elections for the constituency on May 6.

Stone pelting, grenade attacks in Pulwama

Suspected militants threw grenades at Rohmoo polling station in Pulwama but there were no reports of any casualties in the blast. The police, too, fired smoke grenades at multiple locations in the Murran area to disperse the crowd. The police had picked up about 20-25 youth from Murran village a week before the elections.

‘We want right to self-determination as per UN norms’

“When the Naxal attack happened in Maharashtra, was there a similar call for war against the people? Did the nation erupt and say we are against those who attacked? Why show such indifference to Kashmiris,” Mohammad Ayub, a 32-year-businessman from Pinglena, asks. “We want the right to self-determination accorded by the United Nations.” In the nine polling booths in his village, barely .2 per cent votes were polled in the first four hours.

Another, Irfan Basheer in Kangan village said, “We want freedom from the security forces. Until then there will be no votes from here.” With low voter turnout, political parties expressed discomfort.

“The low voter turnout is a reflection of the angst against the Centre. The atmosphere should be conducive for people to vote. The Modi-led government treats Kashmiris as anti-nationals to say the least. If you look at Kashmir from the prism of security and law and order, things won’t work,” Imran Dar, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference party spokesperson said.

While the polling, which started at 7 am, was scheduled to go on until 6 pm in Pulwama and Shopian, the Election Commission curtailed the polling duration by two hours on the request of the state police.