Re: Recod turn-our in J&K polls..
^
Thanks for admitting that you derailed the topic 
@KKF @Southie @Med911
The high voters turn out happened amidst separatist’s calls for boy-cott.Tht means people braved guns and blatant threats from anti-social elements.
SRINAGAR/JAMMU/NEW DELHI: The Jammu & Kashmir electorate on Tuesday belied the ruling National Conference’s “fears” of a low turnout in the wake of recent floods, by clocking a massive 71.28% polling in the first phase of voting.
The turnout appears all the more impressive as the 15 J&K constituencies that went to polls are located in far-flung, mountainous districts of the state. While the corresponding turnout during the Lok Sabha poll this year was barely 52.63%, it was only a tad higher in the 2008 assembly poll at 64.97%. According to deputy election commissioner Vinod Zutshi, who chose to describe the polling in J&K as **“100% flawless with no incident to vitiate the poll”, voters remained queued up outside polling stations even after polling hours. **
The district-wise polling in J&K shows a major surge in poll percentage in Bandipora and Ganderbal, the latter being the chief minister’s traditional constituency. **While Bandipora registered a two-fold increase in turnout (from 35.24% to 70.3%) as compared to Lok Sabha poll held only six months back, the rise in Ganderbal was from 55% in 2008 state polls and 43.97% in Lok Sabha poll to 68% on Tuesday. Leh and Kargil too voted handsomely, while Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban recorded a 4-7% jump. **
Zutshi said as many as 43 sorties, by MI-17 and Chetak helicopters, were undertaken to airlift poll personnel and security forces to remote areas. The voter enthusiasm was best showcased when a 121-year-old lady voter, Noor Bin, voted in the Ramban assembly constituency.
Dealing a serious blow to separatist politics, thousands of voters had lined up before polling stations with nearly 10.52 lakh voters being eligible to vote.
Separatist groups like all the factions of Hurriyat Conference and JKLF have called for a boycott of the polls and a general strike as well.
A total of 123 candidates including seven ministers were in the fray with the ruling coalition partners National Conference and Congress and the opposition People’s Democratic Party(PDP) and BJP fighting for the spoils.
Early morning chill and fog failed to dampen the spirits of the voters who had assembled at the polling stations an hour before the scheduled start of voting.
The voting time had to be extended in several polling stations to allow those voters, who were already inside the polling station premises, to cast their votes.
Serpentine queues of voters could be seen at most of the polling stations even in the five assembly constituencies of Kashmir valley, where the turn out used to be usually lower than in the segments in Jammu division owing the boycott call by the separatists.
“Reports of brisk polling in the valley are very encouraging. Glad to hear turnout in Chenab valley seats also picking up,” chief minister Omar Abdullah said, commenting on the early trends of voting.
He wished “good luck to all the voters braving the cold weather” and urged them to vote in large numbers and “vote with your hearts”.
(Voters line up to cast their votes outside a polling station during the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir state assembly elections.)
The lack of effect of the boycott call was evident from the fact that long queues could be seen even at polling stations where the separatists had posted their anti-election material.
Militants hurled grenades at two polling stations in Bandipora and Sonawari constituencies. The attacks failed to have any effect on the polling process as no one was hurt in the twin attacks while the voters stayed put to exercise their franchise.
A minor clash broke out between supporters of ruling National Conference and opposition PDP at a polling station in Baroosa area of Ganderbal constituency. One person sustained minor injuries but security personnel restored order and polling went on smoothly thereafter.
While most of the old timers turned up to vote based on their ideological affiliations, development and unemployment was the key issue for the first time voters.
“We want development in our constituency. We are not very far from either Srinagar (the summer capital of the state) or Bandipora district headquarter but we seem to be living in dark ages,” Farhat Jabeen, an 18-year-old voter from Sonawari constituency, said.
Abdul Majid, another first time voter, said unemployment was the biggest problem of the area. “We have not seen any one from our area get jobs in our area. We want change and we hope the new dispensation will grant us our wish,” he added.
**Abdul Gaffar, a 60 year-old, however maintained that the area had not lacked on development front. “We have seen the area change over the past six years and would want to continue it,” he said.
**
