Suhail Khan
Srinagar, May 13: The people in parts of southern region of Kashmir came in large numbers to cast their votes for their favorite candidates as the elections for the Lok Sabha parliamentary Srinagar seat began.
Kashmir Despatch from the ground zero spoke with a group of early voters in Naira, Pulwama, who stated, “We have lost enough, and we have come forward to cast our votes for the bright future of our children, for their successful future.”
Ghulam Ahmad, who was excited to cast his vote, told Kashmir Despatch, “I woke up mid-day and was eagerly waiting for this moment because this vote is not just for the development of my state, my area, or my constituency, but this vote is for the secure rights of my children.”
He said, “This time, we all decided not to waste our vote as this vote is very important to fight for our rights,” he added.
A young girl, who wished not to be named, told Kashmir Despatch that she is voting for the first time. She cast her vote and said, “I cast my vote because it’s very important to choose our own leader who can fight for our rights, raise our voices, and fight for the overall development of our state.”
An elderly lady (Saja) told Kashmir Despatch, “I am so happy to cast my vote; it’s important for our well-being.”
Pertinently, a total of 17,47,810 voters have been enrolled in phase IV, including 8,75,938 male and 8,71,808 female voters, besides 64 third-gender electors. There are around 11,682 persons with disabilities and 705 persons above the age of 100 years who will also be exercising their franchise.
Around 2,135 polling stations have been set up in the fourth phase across 5 districts of Srinagar, Pulwama, Budgam, Ganderbal, and Shopian (37-Shopian). The election staff, including Presiding Officers, will be stationed in every polling station. In total, more than 85,000 polling staff, including reserves, have been deployed today.
Suhail Khan is a filmmaker, content writer, and freelance journalist.
