Doda stands up to terror to count 52%

In the seventh constituency of Lolab in Kupwara district, where elections were put off following the assassination of Law Minister Mushtaq Ahmed Lone, the turnout was 44%.

The Doda turnout—the highest in the four phases—assumes more significance given that as soon as polling started in this hilly district, three suspected Lashkar suicide attackers struck at a polling booth in the heart of Doda town killing two CRPF personnel and injuring three others. One militant was killed, who the police said, was 21-year-old Zakir Hussain, from Gandoh, 70 km from here.

Then, at 10.45 am, militants triggered off a landmine near Beoli village on the Doda-Udyanpur road when a vehicle carrying Army personnel was passing by. No one was hurt.

By the time the day wound down, desperate at their failure to scuttle the polls, militants triggred another IED injuring six members of a poll party at Zinhal when they were returning to Banihal town after polling ended.

The turnout was surprising but not unexpected. In this hilly terrain spread over 12,000 sq km, more important than security, it’s the lack of basic infrastructure which has angered several residents: the lack of roads, health and sanitation facilities and unemployment.

So strong was the urge to vote that in the polling station where the suicide squad struck at 7.15 am, just half an hour later, both Hindus and Muslims turned up to vote despite the huge blood stain outside. And by 10.30 am, of the 575 voters, 195 had exercised their franchise and there were several standing in line.

‘‘We have been seeing these (explosions and incidents of firing) for the last 12 years,’’ said Abdul Latif, a medical department employee. ‘‘Though everything is in the hands of Allah, we will try for peace,’’ he added.

‘‘I will vote,’’ said a voter who did not wish to be named, ‘‘because this is the only power left with a civilian like me. These elections have nothing to do with the militants and their cause. Dozens of villages here do not have a road. There are no good schools. We do not have basic amenities and we feel these elections can help us get some.’’

Similar was the desire at other polling stations across the town. At Polling Station 5-A in the office of Chief Animal Husbandry Officer, nearly 600 people of the total of 1,855 voters had already voted by 12.30 pm.

By the end of the day, around 50 per cent of the total 70,278 voters had showed up.

Similarly, in Kishtwar town, where militants hurled a grenade at the residence of an Independent candidate, Joginder Paul Singh, the previous night, lines of voters were seen standing at various polling stations. At some places, people were seen arguing with the polling staff over mistakes in electoral rolls.

Mudasir Zubair, a Class 12 student, was standing inside the Polling Station No. 5-A in Government Higher Secondary School for Boys, arguing with the presiding officer for not allowing him to vote when he had an EC I-D card. ‘‘It is my fundamental right to exercise franchise,’’ said Zubair while the officer said his name didn’t figure in the rolls.

Same was the position at Polling Station No. 2-B in the Government Higher Secondary School for Girls at Kishtwar, with women in line for over an hour. ‘‘Militancy is the root cause of all our problems. Perhaps, this vote may bring an end to it,’’ said Fatima, a Class 12 student. Sushma Gupta, another voter at the polling station said she was casting her vote hoping that her elected representative would ensure development.

The polling was brisk even at Gulabgarh, the last village in Kishtwar constituency to be linked to a road. By 2.30 pm, of the 1,165 voters at Polling Station No. 37, 521 people had cast their votes.

At some places, the polling continued even after 4 pm as voters were still waiting in line, said Deputy Commissioner B A Dar.

Calling today’s polling a ‘‘grand success,’’ Doda SSP, Saji Mohan, warned of violence ahead. He said that fingers were crossed until counting was over and results declared.