Unusual sight in downtown: Long queues outside polling booths

Srinagar, May 13: Srinagar downtown saw an unusual sight on polling day - long queues of residents lined up to cast their ballots.

This marks a significant shift from the widespread boycotts that have traditionally marred voter turnout in these areas during past elections.

At 7:30 am, 45-year-old Manzoor Ahmad Dar was among the early voters awaiting his turn outside the Nowhatta polling station.

A first-time voter, Dar explained his uncharacteristic decision, “It is the first time in my life that I am voting. I feel we were doing wrong by not casting votes, as it used to provide easy access to people whom we didn’t want us to represent in forums which matter."

Dar is part of a small but noteworthy segment in Srinagar downtown that has started questioning the utility of boycotting elections.

“The situation has changed and voting is the best option to get oneself heard,” he said.

While overall turnout remained relatively low compared to other parts of Srinagar, the numbers in downtown areas like Nowhatta, Khanyar, Habba Kadal, Fateh Kadal, Saida Kadal, Nawab Bazar, Rajouri Kadal, Aali Kadal, Eidgah, and Noorbagh represented a sharp uptick from previous polls when only a minuscule percentage exercised their franchise.

At the Government Girls School in Khanyar, a steady stream of voters queued up throughout the day.

Among them was Ajaz Ahmad, who vented his frustration saying, “We have seen post abrogation of Article 370, there is nobody to listen to us. Our situation has gone from bad to worse. It is time to get heard through our representatives. We have seen boycotting served no purpose.”

Beyond the male voters, a notable number of women also turned up to cast their ballots.

The participation extended beyond just older voters.

College student Zaid Rafiq, a first-time voter, said he considered it a “moral responsibility” given the civic woes plaguing downtown.

He had come along with his three friends - Ali, Shahzaib, and Inam - who all voted at the Jogi Lanker polling booth.

“We are voting for our favourite candidate, whose speeches have impressed us,” the group of young men said, exhibiting a keen interest in the electoral process despite hailing from a region long disillusioned with it.

Rafiq elaborated on his motivations, “Look at the condition of our roads, power position, and sanitation. We are being treated as second-class citizens. We want to choose representatives who will listen to us and get our grievances redressed.”