Special booth for Pandits in Delhi finds few takers

The special voting booth set up at Jammu and Kashmir House in Delhi for Kashmiri Pandits witnessed a sluggish turnout on Wednesday as the voting for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections began on Wednesday.

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Only 21 people turned up to cast their votes by mid-afternoon at a polling booth on Prithviraj Road, according to police sources.

No voters showed up for more than an hour after the voting commenced. With rainy weather adding to the subdued atmosphere, the only visible activity was from security personnel stationed outside the building.

In addition to the Jammu and Kashmir House, polling booths were also established at three other locations: Dilshad Garden, Shalimar Bagh, and Paprawat.

Shiv Kumar Bhatt, a voter whose constituency is Rajpora, Pulwama, said, “The election is a win-win situation for the government. The involvement of separatists and radicals in this democratic process is significant. This wasn’t possible without the involvement of the Kashmiri Pandits. Our involvement is very core to this process because whenever we talk, we talk on the basis of the national perspective.”

Bhatt emphasisd that Kashmiri Pandits, despite being displaced from their homeland, continue to contribute to the democratic process. “No doubt we are rootless, stateless and away from our hometown. But we still give support to the government’s efforts. We vote in solidarity with the national perspective.”

He added that while he did not have any specific demands from the J&K government, he casted his vote with the goodwill of the nation in mind. Bhatt and his family were among the few voters who cast their votes on Wednesday.