Women outnumber men in casting vote in Billawar
Avtar Bhat
KATHUA, Dec 4: While over enthusiasm was seen among voters to exercise their franchise in the third phase of District Development Committee (DDC) elections today, many voters however protested and returned in disgust from various polling booths in the twin constituencies of Billawar and Basohli after finding their names missing in the voter lists.
The protesting voters including some youth accused the administration of deliberately not including their names in voter lists while displaying their voter cards in protest in front of various polling stations in Billawar and Basholi constituencies .
Mohinder Singh, who had come to cast his vote at Polling Station Pallan Billawar raised a strong protest against the election authorities after he found his name missing in voter list at polling booth. Mohinder, while displaying his voter card termed it a gross neglect of Election Commission due to which he was deprived of his democratic right. “Casting of vote was more important for me because this election was held for the first time in J&K and we have been since demanding strengthening of the democratic institutes in the erstwhile State but when my this dream came true unfortunately I was deprived of exercising my franchise due to sheer negligence of the authorities ”, said agitated Mohinder who left the polling booth in anger.
Same was the story of Sahil Kumar a youth who had come all along from Jammu to cast his vote at the same polling booth. Displaying his voter card in anger, he said that my name is missing in the voter list which shows the total negligence and non seriousness of the officials entrust the duty of revising voter lists.
Mohinder and Sahil were not only two voters but there were many such voters in twin constituencies who had to return without casting their votes after finding the names missing in the voter lists. They also accused the BLOs concerned for this mischief and made an appeal to DC Kathua O P Bhagat to institute an inquiry in the matter.
At the Polling Station Pallan in Billawar the polling staff were not wearing the safety kits and this was objected by voters. Even the medical attendant engaged for thermo scanning of the voters were also not wearing the PP kits and when a voter protested against the same he was forced to wear the kit.
Maninder Singh another youth who came from Jammu to Billawar to cast his vote said “Vote is great power and it is my Constitutional obligation that I should cast this vote especially when the DDC elections are held for the first time in the J&K”. “This election and my vote will play a great role in strengthening democracy at grass root level and also pave way for implementation of 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments in J&K and direct transfer of funds to basic institutes of democracy for development of rural areas”, he added.
He demanded employment, industrialization and tourism development in Billawar tehsil saying this area has more potential for the same.
However, there was such enthusiasm among the people to cast their vote that nonagenarians, octogenarians and septuagenarians with out caring for COVID Pandemic and safety of their lives came to polling station with the support of their children to make the democratic process of empowering the Panchayati Raj system a success. Fitu Ram -a 91 year old man of Ward No 1 , Plahi block Basholi cast his vote at polling booth in Private School, Kudera in Basholi today. He said that a dream of his life came true today by casting his vote in DDC elections which has been his and other of his friends demand for last 70 years. “This is really a great day in my life, so did not want to miss this opportunity” he added.
The 99 year old lady Vanti Devi cast her vote at Polling Station GPS , Wassal , Dharalta in Billawar block of Kathua district. She was brought to the Polling Station by her children. Mohammed Yasin a 92 year old cast his vote at Model Polling Station, Plai, Basohli in Kathua district.
Even a differently abled and spirited voter Bushan Kumar reached to Model Polling Station Plai , Basholi block of Kathua on his tricycle to cast his vote which showed the enthusiasm among the voters in making the democratic process of the country a success.
There was less rush on polling booths during the morning hours and only and upto 8 am the percentage was 3.81 but it picked up and long queues were seen in front of polling booths. In Billawar the number of women voters was higher than men where out of 15602 voters 7735 male and 7867 female voters cast their vote. The highest voting percentage was recorded at polling Station Upper Baggan Middle School Dalew where 92.76 percent voting was recorded while lowest voting of 40.75 percent was recorded at Upper Baggan A in the Middle School Katli polling booth in the same constituency.
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