Srinagar: The first phase of the District Development Council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir Saturday saw a voter turnout of 51.76 per cent. This was the first election to be held in Jammu and Kashmir after the scrapping of Article 370 from the region last year.
The voter turnout, according to politicians and experts, is an improvement, given the security situation and the past record of election boycotts. The 2014 J&K assembly polls had seen one of the highest polling percentages — 56 per cent — while the 2019 Lok Sabha elections saw a turnout of only 19 per cent, the lowest in two decades.
Kashmir recorded a voter turnout of 39.11 per cent in the DDC polls. The lowest percentage in the Valley was recorded at Pulwama district (6 per cent) and the highest at Budgam (56 per cent). Srinagar recorded a turnout of 33.76 per cent and Jammu district 61 per cent.
There are a total 280 constituencies in J&K (14 in each district), of which voting was conducted in 43 constituencies from 7 am to 2 pm in phase I. A total 296 candidates are in the electoral fray, including 207 men and 89 women candidates, a government official said. By-elections for 368 panch and 94 sarpanch constituencies were also held Saturday.
The elections were held peacefully, said a senior J&K police officer, while also adding that a four-tier security cover was put in place across the region. At least 100 security personnel, which included paramilitary troopers, were posted at each polling booth. More than 30 drones were deployed for surveillance in Srinagar alone.
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Too early to predict outcome
With seven more phases yet to be held, political experts have said that it may be too early to predict the outcome of the DDC polls.
Political expert Noor Ahmed Baba told ThePrint, “There is a major section of people in Kashmir who have stayed away from elections. That section has not gone anywhere. Yes, the polling percentage in the first phases signify that people have reposed their faith in the electoral process but it might have to do more with all regional parties coming together to demand restoration of Article 370.”
BJP’s media in-charge in Kashmir, Manzoor Bhat, said a high voter turnout was a lesson for the ‘Gupkar gang’ — the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), a conglomerate of regional and national political parties in J&K. Bhat said PAGD had claimed that no one in Kashmir would vote if Article 370 was scrapped.
“No doubt this election we did not see the festivity of past polls, and the numbers in Kashmir may be lower than Jammu. But democracy has still won. The Gupkar gang had said no one will vote in Kashmir,” Bhat added.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Spokesperson Najmu Saqib, however, said, “People participating is an emphatic victory for the PAGD. BJP was telling lies to people of India that Kashmir is not with the alliance. How utterly wrong has the BJP been proven.”
National Conference leader Imran Dar, meanwhile, said polling percentages could have been higher had the government made ample security arrangements. “DDC polls being the first of its kind elections in Kashmir, we can’t compare it with other polls. At the outset, the percentages are fine but could have been better.”
Meanwhile voters ThePrint spoke to said they hoped to elect their representatives to increase government accountability and restore normalcy in the region.
“There is a lot of depression among people. These are the issues among people,” said a voter in Shopian’s Narpora village.
Another voter, Ali Mohammad, said, “We want to be represented by someone from the village. There is no development, no government accountability and no access to officials. We want this to end.”
Also read: J&K parties’ DDC polls dilemma — boycott & get marginalised or contest & accept Article 370 move