First phase of panchayat polls sees mixed response in Valley, voting ends peacefully
Highest polling (71.9%) was recorded in Kupwara dist; shutdown observed in Valley on separatists’ call
KUNZER: Moderate to brisk polling was recorded in parts of Kashmir in the first phase of nine-part panchayat polls in the state on Saturday. No untoward incident was reported from anywhere during the polling, a police spokesperson said.
Kupwara district witnessed the highest polling percentage at 71.9%. The polling percentage in other five districts that went to poll on Saturday was: Bandipore 55.7%, Baramulla 69.1%, Ganderbal 11.9%, Srinagar 21.8%, Budgam 30.1%.
Leh and Kargil witnessed 59.7% and 70.9% polling respectively.
On the separatists’ call, a complete shutdown was observed in the Valley. Traffic was off the road and additional troops were deployed in sensitive areas in Srinagar and other towns.the separatists’ joint resistance leadership (JRL) had called for shutdown and boycott of the polls.
At a polling station in Hayatpora village of north Kashmir’s Kunzer block, 123 of the 178 votes had been polled by 1pm and many were still waiting to cast their votes to elect panches and sarpanch of their village.
“This is an election to select a village head and it has nothing to do with the politics of Kashmir. We hope people who get elected will help in getting our day-to-day problems resolved,” said Saifudin Rishi, a local.
About 6km away at Manglora Takiya Batpora of the same block, the mood was, however, completely different as very few people had turned up to vote at the four polling stations at a middle school. Out of the 714 registered voters, only 24 had exercised their franchise when polling ended at 2pm.
“At polling booths 5 and 6, only eight and six votes were polled, while in booth numbers 7 and 8, only 10 votes were polled. Most of the voters didn’t come out for voting,” an official at the polling station told Hindustan Times.
More than 6,000 candidates were in the fray in the ninephase elections, which will be completed on December 11. The second phase of the nine-phase panchayat election will be held on November 20.
Militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen had in January warned former panchayat members against contesting the elections. The group’s operational commander, Riyaz Naikoo, had threatened to pour acid in the eyes of anyone who dared to contest the polls. In the last panchayat elections in 2011, about 70% polling was recorded.
More than half-a-dozen panchayat houses were either damaged or set on fire by suspected militants after dates for the polls were announced in September.
Sixteen sarpanches (panchayat heads) and panches (panchayat members) have been killed by militants in the last four years, which security officials said was one of the reasons why candidates were not campaigning openly.
In Kashmir Uri block witnessed 84 percent highest while Kunzer block registered mere 10 percent polling.