Shopian, May 13:
The Shopian Assembly Segment, a part of the Srinagar Parliamentary constituency, has achieved a notable voter turnout, with long queues observed at most polling stations.
The tentative voter turnout stands at 47.42 percent, subject to change pending the official poll percentage. However, this figure already exceeds previous election records. For instance, during the 2019 elections, the Wachi and Shopian assembly segment witnessed an abysmally low turnout of just 3.03 percent in the district.
After the delimitation of constituencies, the two assembly constituencies of Shopian were merged: one with the Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency, while the other, previously known as Wachi, is now Zainapora and is part of the Anantnag-Rajouri Parliamentary constituency.
Faisal Feroz, a first-time voter from ShadabKareva, said that it is their basic right to choose the candidate of their choice who will foster better development for them.
Irshad Ahmad, a resident of Keegam, expressed his anticipation for the elections to finally vote for their preferred candidate after a long wait.
I am very happy today to have cast my vote after waiting for a long time. We are thankful that we can now contribute to democracy. We have cast our vote for the candidate we believe will represent us,” Ahmad said.
He said that it’s an opportunity for them to select the right candidate who will represent them in parliament and advocate for their rights and the chosen candidate will assist the youth in addressing unemployment issues.
Earlier, District Election Officer (DEO) Shopian, FazLulHaseeb, told reporters that polling is going smoothly in every polling station in the district. He said that their zonal and sectorial magistrates are all active in the field.
“I visited the ShadabKareva area of the Shopian Constituency to check the arrangements and get a first-hand account of ongoing polling – all is well. We are hopeful of having a good turnout, as previously the area had a very low percentage, as low as 3 per cent in previous elections,” he said.
He said that the percentage they receive every two hours will be encouraging and by 6 pm, they will ensure that polling concludes peacefully.
“Under the SVEEP program, we try to make the polling stations as attractive as possible for the voter. If one notices, we have ramps available in every polling station, and amenities such as drinking water and electricity are ensured,” he said.
“If you observe, experiencing such a surge in polling turnout was not conceivable before. However, due to the voter education program and an enhanced law and order situation, we have witnessed a significant increase in voter participation. We are optimistic about achieving a much better polling turnout,” he further added.
Administration had set up a Green polling station at Padpawan and BorihallanPayeenShopian, a Pink polling station at Shopian town, and a PwD managed polling station at SindooShirmal.
