Enthusiasm at its peak among electorates
Govind Sharma
JAMMU, Apr 11: The enthusiasm was at its peak among the labour class, farmers and ex-servicemen of Akhnoor town and its adjoining areas in Jammu district during the Ist phase of Lok Sabha elections held today for Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat, as long queues were seen outside polling stations since early morning.
Passing through a narrow ‘kuccha’ path amid fields of wheat, some farmers of village Mawa Karora near Akhnoor town, who were on their way to exercise their right to vote at polling station No 48, housed at Government Primary School, Mawa Karora, while talking to Excelsior team, said: “The farmers need a strong, clean and honest Government at the Centre which can take hard decisions without any fear in the interest of the nation and at the same time provide better prices to the farmers of their produce”.
Among them were Rattan Lal and his wife Kaushalaya, who said that every single vote matters and keeping in view that they both decided to first cast their vote and then do other farm related works. “While casting votes one should not think of his/her personal interest but think about nation as a whole and vote for the party which takes decisions in the interest of public and nation”, they added.
Puran Chand (45), a farmer standing in the queue at polling station No 91 in Government Middle School Daskal, said he used to vote for Congress in every election but this time voted for BJP as the development which the country has witnessed in last five years, was never seen in last seven decades. He said our mothers and wives earlier used to cook food on traditional chullas by burning cow dung, have now taken a sigh of relief after getting free of cost LPG connection, which the Modi Government has distributed among lakhs of poor people across the country.
Standing in the queue at polling station No 103 at Town Hall, Akhnoor, Pappi Ram, a labourer by profession, said that Country needed a leader which can transform the life of the poor and labour class and in the form of Prime Minister, they got that in 2014. He said in last 5 years, Modi Government has done a lot for poor and labour class.
“Earlier, we didn’t have bank accounts but now ever labourer has bank account and all have been insured under Prime Minister Jan Dhan Yojana, which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after coming into power in 2014,” he said, adding that they want Modi as PM for one more term and that is why they are going to vote in favour of BJP.
Raju Ram, another labourer, who came out of the booth after casting his vote at polling station No 102, said the labour class is poor but not mindless; they know who is making hollow promises and who is pro-poor. “I live in Baazigar Basti in Ward No 3 of Akhnoor, where most of the people do labour work to earn their bread and butter and live in kutcha houses (Kullas). In last five years, some of them raised ‘pucca’ houses with the help of PM Awas Yojana and almost all houses have now toilets constructed under Swacchh Bharat Abhiyaan,” he said, adding that labour class is happy with the present NDA Government and that is why leaving all works they have come here to cast their votes to ensure the win of BJP.
Balbir Singh, an ex-serviceman of Ward No 10, Akhnoor, after exercising his franchise at polling station number 101 said that nation needs a strong leader, a best crisis manager to make India a self reliant country and improve its image in the world. Without revealing party name to which he voted, he said, “I voted in favour of a nationalist party as a true nationalist can work selflessly for the people and his country”.
Another ex-serviceman, Babu Ram, who just came out after casting his vote at polling station 98-C housed at Government Primary School Kalidhar Range said he was a staunch supporter of Congress party but the way the BJP is taking the country on the path of development, has forced him to change his mind and vote in favour of BJP. He said ‘one rank one pension’ was a big issue which previous Governments failed to address but the present Government led by PM Modi took initiative and solved it on priority.
Vidya Devi (75), the mother of Babu Ram, who was also accompanying him at polling station said, “Widows and elderly people give blessings to Modi when they get Rs 1000 per month pension in their account as earlier they used to get a meager sum of Rs 300 only”. The old woman said that she voted for Modi, not BJP.
Sanjay Sharma, who was also going to vote at the same polling booth said that change is must and vote is the only power in a democracy through which people can determine their destiny. “If we vote for a candidate and the party with good public image, our half of the problems gets automatically solved”, he added.
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