Srinagar: Amid the shivering cold and the Covid-19 threat, a large number of voters in Jammu and Kashmir cast their vote in the eight-phase District Development Council elections, the first electoral exercise in J&K after the scrapping of Article 370 and its bifurcation on August 5 last year. People of Jammu and Kashmir have shown full faith in the Indian democracy and given a strong message to the world. This has scripted history in New India.
The situation seems to be changing after the abolition of Article-370 from Jammu and Kashmir. Local people have wrecked the plans of the terrorists, showing confidence in the democracy. The biggest example of this is the District Development Council (DDC) election in Jammu and Kashmir, which was concluded on Saturday. Overall the turnout was about 51 percent in this election. Now the votes will be counted on 22 December.
State Election Commissioner K K Sharma said that in the eighth and final phase of voting on Saturday, about 28 percent of the polling was held in 28 constituencies. These areas are spread over 18 districts of the union territory. Elections are being held here for the first time after the withdrawal of special status from Jammu and Kashmir. Sharma said while addressing the press conference that the voting was peaceful barring a few minor incidents.
Sharma said that the final phase of the election saw a turnout of 50.98 percent. In Jammu division, 72.71 percent polling was recorded in the last phase whereas in Kashmir valley 29.91 percent polling was recorded. He said that over 3.21 lakh voters came out to vote in the last phase. Sharma said that in the last phase, Kupwara district in Kashmir Valley recorded the highest turnout of 63.8 percent, while Bandipora recorded 56.5 percent, 44.6 percent in Baramulla, 35.12 percent in Budgam, 11.2 percent in Kulgam.
In Jammu region, Poonch recorded the highest turnout of 83.58 percent. This was followed by 81.92 percent in Reasi, 77.31 percent in Rajouri and 73.93 percent in Kathua. Sharma said the voting took place in a peaceful atmosphere and there was no news of any major incident. He said that in Poonch, a candidate faced stone pelting and his security personnel opened fire in the air to drive away the crowd. This caused people to disperse.’
On a question asked about the possibility of assembly elections here after the DDC elections were successfully concluded, Sharma said, “The assembly election is under the jurisdiction of ECI (Election Commission of India). It is not right for me to comment on this. But, they (assembly elections) will happen in some time and ECI will take steps for this.”
The Lieutenant Governor congratulated the voters and the election machinery.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday congratulated the voters and the election machinery of the Union Territory for the successful conduct of the District Development Council (DDC) elections for the first time. Sinha said, ‘The DDC elections were held for the first time, strengthening the three levels of the Panchayati Raj system in Jammu and Kashmir, and the response to the DDC elections has been very encouraging.’ The election was largely peaceful and smooth.
The Lieutenant Governor said, “Youth and first time voters of Jammu and Kashmir voted for a new and better tomorrow. Long queues of enthusiastic voters were seen in the polling stations of the union territory and people came out to vote in large numbers compared to the earlier parliamentary and panchayat elections themselves reveal that the faith of the people of Jammu and Kashmir has deepened in the democratic process.”
He said, “I thank and congratulate the people of Jammu and Kashmir for participating in the elections with such zeal and enthusiasm for their commitment and steadfast efforts to all the officials for the smooth conduct of the DDC elections.”
Large scale voting wins democracy: Gupta
Senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta said on Saturday that large-scale polling in Jammu and Kashmir’s District Development Council (DDC) elections proved a decisive victory for democracy in the union territory. The voting for the last phase of the eight-phase DDC election was held on Saturday.
Gupta while thanking the people of Jammu and Kashmir for participating in the DDC elections said, “This will be written as a great election in the history of Jammu and Kashmir as the people here have shown that democracy has won.” The former Deputy Chief Minister targeted the National Conference (NC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).