Kashmiri Migrants Vote At Special Polling Booth Amid Tight Security As Srinagar Goes To Polls

Lok Sabha Election 2024: 21 Special polling stations have been established in Jammu for migrant voters of the Kashmir division of the Union territory of Jammu & Kashmir.

This is the first major election in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370.

Source : PTI

Voting took place on Monday in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, where 24 candidates are in the fray, as the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha Elections was held. Meanwhile, the Kashmiri migrant community cast their vote at a special polling booth at the Jagti camp, in Nagrota, Jammu, amid tight security.

Special polling stations have been established for migrant voters of the Kashmir division – 21 in Jammu, four in Delhi and one in Udhampur district.

Speaking to PTI, a man named Chand Kumar said while he voted in a peaceful environment, it would have felt better to do it in Srinagar, Kashmir. Kumar added, “Considering the situation we have been witnessing here for the last 10 years, we hope we will have the same peaceful environment.” 

VIDEO | Kashmiri migrants cast their vote at a special polling booth in Jagti camp, in Nagrota, Jammu amid tight security.

“We cast our vote in a peaceful environment today. However, it would be good if we were in Kashmir (Srinagar). Considering the situation we have been… pic.twitter.com/qOjqk8RKrf

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 13, 2024

He said he "felt very good" after voting. 

This is the first major election in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370, which granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. The article was revoked in 2019 by the Modi government, which also bifurcated the state into the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

There are 17.48 lakh voters in the constituency that comprises Srinagar, Ganderbal and Pulwama districts and parts of Budgam and Shopian districts. Authorities have set up 2,135 polling stations across the five districts.

The National Conference, supported by the I.N.D.I.A bloc, has fielded influential Shia leader and former minister Aga Ruhullah Mehdi from the seat while the PDP has named its youth wing president, Waheed Para, as its candidate. The Apni Party has fielded Mohammad Ashraf Mir and the DPAP has fielded Amir Ahmad Bhat. There are 20 others, including two women, in the fray.