Active Stocks
Thu Mar 28 2024 15:59:33
  1. Tata Steel share price
  2. 155.90 2.00%
  1. ICICI Bank share price
  2. 1,095.75 1.08%
  1. HDFC Bank share price
  2. 1,448.20 0.52%
  1. ITC share price
  2. 428.55 0.13%
  1. Power Grid Corporation Of India share price
  2. 277.05 2.21%
Business News/ Elections 2019 / Lok Sabha Elections 2019/  Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Why the Kashmiri voter is reluctant to vote
BackBack

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Why the Kashmiri voter is reluctant to vote

Anantnag recorded a voter turnout of 13.63%, a factor that now keeps Mufti’s fate hanging in the balance
  • Since the Pulwama terror attack, the chasm between the people and the government has only widened, a senior state government official argued
  • Anantnag saw a sharp dip in turnout since the last Lok Sabha elections, when it recorded a turnout of 37.76%. (PTI)Premium
    Anantnag saw a sharp dip in turnout since the last Lok Sabha elections, when it recorded a turnout of 37.76%. (PTI)

    New Delhi: Three years after resigning from her seat in Kashmir’s Anantnag, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti’s hopes were once again pinned on making a comeback in this Lok Sabha constituency. However, with disillusionment and violence gripping the state, on Tuesday, Anantnag recorded a voter turnout of 13.63% -- a factor that now keeps Mufti’s fate hanging in the balance.

    However, the dismal voter turnout is not without reason. Since the 14 February suicide attack by the Jaish-e-Mohammad on the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Pulwama, the chasm between the people and the government has only widened, a senior state government official argued, leading to the dismal voter turnout – first in Srinagar, last week and now in Anantnag.

    “The security forces have been conducting cordon and search operations across Pulwama and Shopian. Civilians are getting caught in the crossfire as collateral damage and sometimes young boys are getting heckled for no reason. In such a case, staying at home and not voting is a mark of protest in a state like J&K where hopes of anything improving are zero," said the official, requesting anonymity.

    With Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag forming the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency, the seat saw a sharp dip in turnout since the last Lok Sabha elections, when it recorded a turnout of 37.76%.

    While National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah had urged the people, on Tuesday, to not boycott the polls, Mufti’s party – the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), reiterated that the entire process of polling had been made tedious and unfriendly, thereby discouraging voters from making the effort to come out to vote.

    “Cluster policing is happening around polling stations in the name of security and polling stations are being set up at a distance from a village and there are police personnel who are guarding it. So, the villagers have to walk about five kilometres to get to the polling station. A voter in Jammu and Kashmir needs the motivation to come out and vote. By making it difficult, they will not be encouraged to vote," said senior PDP leader Naeem Akhtar.

    Experts however, argued that the low turnout would not have any bearing on the political fates of leaders, even though the process was far from “democratic."

    “The leadership has nothing to sell to the electorate. Political parties come to power in Jammu and Kashmir because the people have no choice. They are not happy with either the PDP or the NC. The parties come to power by default. You are not required to have a minimum number of votes so as to be elected. So even if a candidate gets one vote and nobody else votes, you can come to power. Political leaders have not fulfilled public expectation. Unless you have full people’s participation, you cannot test democracy," said Nisar Ali, former dean of faculty of social sciences at the University of Kashmir.

    Gyan Varma contributed to this story.

    Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

    Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
    More Less
    Published: 24 Apr 2019, 10:29 AM IST
    Next Story footLogo
    Recommended For You
    Switch to the Mint app for fast and personalized news - Get App