Srinagar: A cool breeze kissed the wrinkled face of a 60-year-old man when he stepped out of his home in Ganderbal. Crisscrossing a dirt road, the senior citizen was among the first set of voters to exercise the right to franchise.
“We have been without a local government for 10 years now. We don’t know who holds a particular charge in the current dispensation. People don’t know whom to approach to solve the issue. To lay a solid foundation of the local government, we have come to vote,” Abdul Qadir Bhat, a 60-year-old voter said.
This is not an isolated case. From younger to elderly, people queued up from early morning to vote for democracy.
Roads, healthcare, education, and job creation weigh heavy on their minds. By voting for local representatives, the people hope to see more focused attention on addressing these needs, especially in remote areas that have long been neglected.
“This is a step towards progress. We want development, and we believe that with the establishment of local governance, our voices will be heard, and our problems will be solved,” said Rauf Ahmad, another voter from Lar.
People in Budgam too made beelines to polling stations very early in the morning to exercise their franchise.
One of the main issues that drove voters to booths was growing unemployment.
“Unemployment rate is very high. Youth are struggling to find sustainable livelihoods. We are voting with the hope that the unemployment issues will be addressed by the new government,” said Farooq Ahmad, a voter from Beerwah.
The voters equally wanted local development activities to take off at a faster pace.
“The district is way much behind in terms of development. There are scores of villages without proper roads and electricity facilities. We are hopeful that the local government will address these issues,” said Salik Ahmad Bhat, a voter.
