Anantnag, May 25: In a powerful symbol of democracy’s enduring spirit, displaced Kashmiri Pandit voter Veer Saraf exercised his franchise after a profound gap of 32 years, driven by the changing situation in Kashmir. As the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency went to polls, Saraf was among the many who turned up in large numbers to cast their votes, defying past apprehensions.
After casting his ballot at a polling booth in Anantnag, an emotional Saraf shared his overwhelming sentiments with Morning Kashmir. “I have cast my vote in Kashmir after 32 long years. As a member of the minority community, we usually refrained from visiting here. However, the transformative changes in Kashmir over the last decade compelled me to exercise my democratic right in my homeland.”
The Election Commission had revised the polling date for the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency from May 7 to May 25 due to logistical hurdles, communication challenges, and the region’s natural barriers to connectivity.
When asked about the importance of his vote, Saraf responded, “I have cast this vote for the contentment of my soul.” He revealed that while some of his friends accompanied him to vote in Kashmir, others preferred to exercise their franchise in Jammu.
This election holds special significance as the first general election in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. Polling has already taken place for the Lok Sabha seats of Jammu, Baramulla, Srinagar, and Udhampur, with the remaining phases yet to unfold.
The Baramulla parliamentary constituency recorded a voter turnout of 55.79 percent in the fifth phase, the highest in the last eight Lok Sabha elections over 35 years, as per the Election Commission of India (ECI). Similarly, the Srinagar constituency witnessed its highest voter turnout since 1999, with over 38 percent participation.
The voting in Jammu and Kashmir is being conducted in five phases, with the counting of votes for all Lok Sabha seats in the region and across the country scheduled for June 4, 2024.
Saraf’s decision to cast his ballot after over three decades underscores the evolving political landscape in Kashmir, where a resurgence of faith in the democratic process is taking root. As the region continues to navigate its path towards peace and progress, stories like Saraf’s serve as a poignant reminder of the power of the ballot to transcend divisions and nurture hope for a better future.
The Anantnag parliamentary constituency witnessed highest voter turnout of Kashmir Pandit migrant community voters among all the three Lok Sabha constituencies of Kashmir valley.
During the sixth phase around 40 percent Kashmir Pandit migrant voters casted their votes in 21 polling stations in Jammu district. Out of the 25250 total eligible electorates, 9924 voters exercised their franchise which includes 5426 male and 4498 female voters.
Giving details, officials told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the polling remained peaceful all over the 21 polling stations established by the Election Commission of India (ECI) and voters were facilitated by the officials present on the ground.
This phase witnessed overwhelming response of Kashmiri Pandit migrant voters as compared to the two previous phases. For Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, 37.8 percent KP migrant voters had exercised their franchise whereas for Baramulla seat, 31.29 percent KP migrant voters had casted their votes.
For Anantnag seat the total percentage of KP votes polled stood at 39.3 percent which is expected to increase as the final data was being compiled.
KP migrant people have been living in different parts of Jammu district since 1990 when they were forced to leave the Kashmir valley after the eruption of arms insurgency. Since then KP leaders have been demanding a separate homeland in Kashmir to return.
To keep their identity intact, KP migrant community living in Jammu and elsewhere register themselves as voters of their ancestral villages and towns. They didn’t shift their votes to the present place of living even after constructing homes in different locations
