A vote ‘for hope’: Glimpses from J&K’s Anantnag-Rajouri seat that saw record voter turnout

Anantnag/Kulgam/Shopian: Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency saw record turnout Saturday in Phase six of the ongoing general election at 51.35 percent by 5 PM.

While Rajouri and Poonch districts (of Jammu region) have traditionally seen higher turnout, the equation in the three districts of Kashmir — Anantnag, Kulgam, and parts of Shopian — is noteworthy. The turnout in these districts, often been dubbed as “hotbed of militancy”, saw a significant jump compared to the previous Lok Sabha in 2019.

Old, young, men and women, could be spotted turning out to vote in large numbers as ThePrint travelled through polling booths across south Kashmir.

Mohammed Qamaal Bhat, 82, walked out of a polling station with a smile on his face. He had just cast his vote in Shopian district, where last week a couple was injured in a terror attack. Showing his inked finger, Bhat said, “Elections have happened after a long time. I am happy at least the election happened, even though it happened very late.” This was Bhat’s way of voicing issues, namely, unemployment, “tanashahi” among other things.

Bhat did not represent an exception but a norm.

Like him, Saja Begum in Imam Sahib village also said she believed that people were coming to vote because they had “hope that this time their work will be done”. For locals issues ranged from development, and unemployment to drug addiction and Article 370.

The ongoing general election is historic in its own right because this is the first major election after the abrogation of Article 370. Back in 2019, the total voter turnout in the erstwhile Anantnag seat was 8.98 percent. A lot has changed since.

At the same time, PDP workers and party chief Mehbooba Mufti were seen protesting in Bijbehara, Anantnag, over allegations that PDP cadres and poll agents were arrested by the police. Other key candidates in the fray included National Conference’s Mian Altaf, Apni Party’s Zafar Manhas and Democratic Progressive Azad Party’s Mohammad Saleem Paray.

A young boy playing on his phone as his mother stands in queue to cast her vote in Imam Sahib, Shopian | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

A voter holding up his voter ID | Praveen Jain | ThePrin

Women voters outside a polling booth | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Highest turnout in Anantnag, established in 1967, was about 70 percent in 1984 | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Voters queue to cast their votes at a polling station in Anantnag | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Women voters show their inked finger after casing their vote | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Young voters after casting vote in Anantnag | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Security personnel at a polling station in Anantnag-Rajouri seat | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

82-year-old Mohammed Kamal Bhatt shows his inked finger in Zainapora, Shopian | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Voters pose for a picture after casting their vote in Zainapora | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

EC set up 2,338 polling stations throughout Anantnag-Rajouri constituency | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

A woman standing in queue to cast her vote in sixth phase of ongoing general election | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Voters standing in queue at government higher secondary school in Imam Sahib, Shopian | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Security personal at a polling station | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Voters queue to cast their votes at a polling station | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

This is the first major election in J&K since abrogation of Article 370 | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

A women outside a polling booth after casting her vote | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

A voter shows his inked finger while standing on the back of a car | Praveen Jain | ThePrint