PEOPLE'S PARTICIPATION GIVES J&K ELECTION LEGITIMACY

Jammu and Kashmir saw enthusiastic participation by voters in the first phase of the Assembly elections on Wednesday.

- JOYEETA BASU

The voting percentage, at the time of writing, was over 58% and may cross 60% once all the numbers come in. This is quite remarkable given the low participation by voters in earlier elections. The Lok Sabha elections served as a curtain raiser, where too we saw enthusiasm among voters for casting their votes. This would have disappointed the Pakistan-backed propagandists who have been telling everyone that the situation in Kashmir is among the most oppressive in the world and that India has killed democracy by abrogating Article 370. Instead what the world saw on Wednesday were long queues at polling booths, with voters freely exercising their franchise. The run-up to the first phase also resembled the way electoral politics is played in this country, with the rallies and the rhetoric dominating the voting landscape. The second and third phases of voting are scheduled for 25 September and 1 October and there is no reason to believe that there will be any drop in voter enthusiasm in these phases.