Record voter turnout in formerly troubled Zainapora Villages

Shopian, May 25: Once a hotbed of terrorism, the villages of Heff, Sugan, and their neighbouring communities in the Zainapora segment of the Anantnag-Rajouri Parliamentary constituency have made headlines for a different reason this election season.
During the sixth phase of polling on Saturday, a notable number of residents turned out to cast their votes, signalling a significant departure from the area’s historical trend of election boycotts.
The high voter turnout in these villages marks a significant shift in the region’s engagement with the electoral process, driven by a collective aspiration for development and better governance.
Residents from Heff, Sugan, Turkewangam, and Molu-Chitragam expressed to *Rising Kashmir* that voter turnout was unexpectedly high, driven by a desire for better infrastructure and public services. Villagers particularly emphasized their hopes for improvements in education, health, and road connectivity.
At Turkewangam village, three polling booths were set up at the local government higher secondary school. The booths, designated as A, B, and C, saw 210, 176, and 51 votes cast, respectively, out of a total of 836, 772, and 541 eligible voters by 12:30 PM. Polling officials reported that while there were long queues in the morning, the crowds gradually thinned out by the afternoon.
GhulamNabi Sheikh, a 70-year-old resident of Turkewangam, who has participated in every election since becoming eligible to vote, cast his vote with hopes of seeing enhanced health facilities, improved road connectivity, and better educational infrastructure. “We need adequate staffing at the health center in Turkewangam and urgent repairs and widening of the Shopian Litter road, which is currently riddled with potholes,” Sheikh stated.
In the neighboring village of Sugan, out of 1,317 eligible voters, 324 votes were recorded by the afternoon at the polling booth set up inside the government middle school. Shahid Ahmad Bhat, a young voter from Sugan, emphasized the importance of youth participation in the electoral process. Casting the second vote of his life, Bhat stressed, “Voting is crucial for electing representatives who can address local issues such as the retrieval of grazing land and rising electricity bills.”
Heff village had two polling booths, designated A and B. By 1:00 PM, 160 votes were cast at Heff A, including 140 male and 20 female voters, out of 1,021 eligible voters. Meanwhile, Heff B recorded 36 votes, including 34 male and 2 female voters, out of 717 eligible voters. GhulamMohi-u-Deen, a 70-year-old resident, voted with the hope of seeing upgrades to the village school, improvements in local health facilities, and the construction of a bridge over NallahRambiara.
Notably, the polling stations also saw participation from relatives of former terrorists and members of the banned organization Jamaat-e-Islami, indicating a broader engagement in the democratic process.
In Chitragam, out of 704 eligible voters, 104 votes were recorded by the afternoon, with 80 male and 24 female voters participating. Bilal Ahmad Mir, a youth from Chitragam, expressed his hope for better roads and improved local infrastructure.