Pattan turns out for change, votes with hope

Pattan, Oct 1: During phase III of the J&K Assembly polls, brisk polling was witnessed at polling booths in the Pattan assembly constituency of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

As the voting began, long queues of both males and females were witnessed at almost every polling booth in the Pattan area with people sharing their bitter experiences of the past while saying that they were voting for positive change.

“Electric wires are hanging on the worn-out wooden poles. We do not have drinking water facilities in our homes and we get water tankers twice a month,” an elderly voter in Reshipora Pattan said.

He said that they had faced certain difficulties in the past that forced them to stand in queues in the early morning to cast their votes.

“We voted in the past elections as well but our area was deprived of basic facilities,” he said.

Nisar Ahmad Dar, another voter from Pattan main town said that they got the opportunity after 10 years to elect their representative.

“Election is a must because we are without our local representatives. We hope that after casting our votes this time, our basic issues will be addressed. Non-availability of drinking water and potholed roads are our main issues,” Dar said.

From early morning till late afternoon, people in large numbers voted at all polling booths in Pattan and voters expressed their enthusiasm for their participation in the election process.

“We are happy to cast our vote after 10 years. We have faced a lot of difficulties in all respects during the past several years. We are deprived of basic facilities. Our schools are in bad condition. Our hospitals are not in good condition. The participation was not the same during the last election but today we are voting for change and a better tomorrow,” Muhammad Altaf said.

As the long queues were witnessed outside polling stations, some voters were seen carrying cups of tea in their hands as they turned out to vote on empty stomachs.

“We came to the polling station on empty stomachs to cast our vote and will later start our daily routine. Our area has faced neglect during previous years and today we are casting a vote with high hopes that our elected representatives will come up to our expectations,” Nazir Ahmad, another voter from Pattan, said.