EHSAN PARRAY
ANANTNAG, MAY 25: In an interview with Morning Kashmir, Sunny Raina, President of the Kashmiri Pandit Colony in Vessu Qazigund, Anantnag, stated that the residents of the colony have exercised their voting rights through postal ballots. Raina informed that the Kashmiri Pandit Colony in Qazigund, Anantnag, is one of the largest such colonies in the Kashmir Valley, comprising around 426 families. However, there was no facility for a polling booth within the colony premises during the recent elections. He expressed hope that in future elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) will arrange for a polling booth within the colony, enabling the residents to vote in large numbers and choose their representatives who can raise their important issues and problems in Parliament. In previous elections, the residents had to submit an “M Form” attested by a gazetted officer, which was mandatory. However, Raina expressed gratitude to the ECI for providing relief this time, which he claimed represented a significant increase in voter turnout compared to the 2009, 2014, and 2019 elections. Lastly, Sunny Raina stated that the Kashmiri Pandits have been “just used and nothing has been done on the ground,” but he hopes that the newly elected government will address their genuine issues.
