Up 5 times in Srinagar, rise in South Kashmir too
*First-ever DDC polls, no stone pelting, PAGD among factors
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Dec 14: Much to the surprise of political observers and the Union Territory administration, Kashmir division has been witnessing almost highest ever turnout in last three decades of militancy in the first-ever election to the District Development Council (DDC) in Jammu and Kashmir, which significantly is the first electoral exercise post abrogation of special status of J&K and bifurcation of erstwhile State into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
“Turnout, albeit low, is much higher even in South Kashmir, the hub of militancy, as compared to previous elections including 2018 Panchayat polls and 2019 Parliamentary elections,’’ official data of voting percentage accessed by the Excelsior revealed.
Even when the big political personalities like Dr Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, GA Mir, Mohammad Akbar Lone and Justice (Retired) Hasnain Masoodi were contesting 2019 Lok Sabha elections on three Parliamentary seats of Kashmir, the turnout was dismal. However, in ongoing process of the DDC elections, the voting percentage has far exceeded than what was recorded in Lok Sabha polls of 2019 and 2018 Panchayat elections.
When Dr Farooq Abdullah, the National Conference president and former Chief Minister, was himself contesting election from Srinagar Lok Sabha seat in 2019, only 7.9 percent votes were cast while turnout in the district was 14.5 percent in 2018 Panchayat elections. But in first six phases of the DDC polls, 35.3 percent people have exercised their right to franchise in Srinagar, a nearly five-time increase from the Parliamentary elections.
And the increase in turnout is not confined to Central Kashmir only. In South Kashmir’s Anantnag district, the voting percentage was 13.8 in Parliamentary elections of last year when PDP president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Pradesh Congress (I) president GA Mir were in the fray. However, in the DDC elections, polling percentage has almost doubled and stood at 27.5 in Anantnag.
Increase in percentage is also significant in two more South Kashmir districts of Kulgam and Shopian. Voting percentage was 6.4 in 2018 Panchayat polls and 10.2 in 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Kulgam district, which has recorded 28.9 in first six phases of the DDC polls and trends showed that it could further go up in the remaining two phases. In Shopian, voting percentage was 3.4 in the Lok Sabha polls and had gone up by nearly five times at 17.5 in the DDC elections.
Though turnout remained a cause of concern in another South Kashmir district of Pulwama, it too has went up from the previous two elections held in 2018 and 2019. Pulwama had recorded 1.1 percent polling in 2018 and 1.2 in 2019, which has gone up to 7.4 in 2020 polls.
Sopore, once a stronghold of separatists has not lagged behind in joining rest parts of Kashmir to cast votes in the DDC elections. Sopore had registered 26 percent polling in Panchayat elections which came down to just 7.6 percent in the Parliamentary polls but has significantly risen to 23.8 percent in six phases of the DDC polls.
In Budgam district, turnout was almost same at 21.9 and 21.6 percent in 2018 and 2019 elections but has doubled to 42.4 percent in 2020. However, in Ganderbal district, the increase in voting percentage is more than even Budgam. Ganderbal had 27.4 voting percentage in 2018 and 17.5 in 2019 which now stood at 43.4. In Bandipora district, polling turnout has gone up from 44 percent in Panchayat polls and 32 percent in Parliamentary elections to 51.7 percent in the DDC polls.
However, Kupwara seems to be the only district where voting percentage has declined in the DDC elections as compared to Panchayat and Parliamentary polls. In Kupwara, the percentage was 55.3 in Panchayat polls, which came down to 49.7 in Parliamentary elections and has further declined to 46.4 in the DDC polls. In Baramulla district, the voting percentage in the ongoing polls is 43.6, up from 31.6 in 2019 Parliamentary polls but down from 56.3 in Panchayat elections.
In Jammu region, the voting percentage has always been around 70 which is almost being maintained in the current elections too.
Observers attributed increase in voting percentage across Kashmir division which has 140 seats of the District Development Councils (14 in each district) equal to that of Jammu region, to conduct of first-ever election to the DDCs as people felt that the Councils will get direct funding from the Centre as well as the J&K Governments which will lead to development in the rural areas.
Further, in the absence of Assembly, the people feel that the elected DDC members will be able to address their issues which is also another factor they are coming out to vote the candidate of their choice.
“Formation of People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declarations (PAGD), a conglomerate of seven political parties including National Conference, PDP, People’s Conference, CPM etc, is another reason of increase in the turnout,’’ the observers said, adding almost all political parties be they affiliated to PAGD, Congress, Apni Party or BJP, all have been involved actively in the DDC polls.
Moreover, they observed, there has been no call to boycott elections from separatists, Hurriyat Conference or any other organization and there was no incident of targeting polling booths or stone pelting either which has boosted confidence of the candidates as well as voters and they are turning out in good numbers to cast their votes.
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