Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Nov 28: The voter turnout in the district development council polls as per earlier indications is likely to be more than what it was in the last parliamentary elections in southern Kashmir.
Pertinently, in the last parliamentary election in May 2019, the voter turnout was just 8.76 per cent for south Kashmir parliament seat.
Officials told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that brisk polling is being witnessed at different areas in south Kashmir, however, at some places no vote has been polled as of now.
Meanwhile, several first-time voters who turned up to cast their votes at several polling stations in south Kashmir told KNO that they were voting for the development and there is no politics behind their voting.
Imtiaz Ahmad (name changed), a voter from Keller area of Shopian district said that it is not the domain of DDC candidates to restore Article 370 and they were just casting their vote for development.
Meanwhile, Zahid Ahmad another voter from Achgoza block of Pulwama district said that he cast his vote to get the lost identity back.
“Everything has been snatched from us forcibly and there is need to vote against them so that they will get a clear message that we aren’t happy with their decisions,” he said.
Safeena Jan, a voter from the upper belt of Pahalgam said that they need basic facilities and she cast her vote just for the development of their area which has been neglected for the last 70 years.
Notably, in the last parliamentary elections, the voter turnout in Anantnag was recorded at 13.63 per cent, followed by Kulgam district at 10.3 per cent 2.88 per cent in Shopian and 2.14 in Pulwama—(KNO)
