Rayees Shah
Nearly 60 per cent of voters cast their votes in Baramulla Lok Sabha segment spread to four districts; Baramulla, Bandipora, Kupwara and Budgam. Amid the huge crowds that turned up to cast their votes in Bandipora district of north Kashmir was Ghulam Mohammed Gojar, helping his son Ghulam Hassan to cast his vote.
Ghulam Mohammed, 79, cast his vote at the Mantrigam polling station of Bandipora in anticipation of their social welfare aid, which has been withheld for the past five months.
Several social welfare beneficiaries in Kashmir have been running from door to door hoping that their funds would be released. The issue came forth after the government transited the whole data online and the old aged, disabled and other beneficiaries of social welfare aid were asked to submit the documents at their concerned offices.
In December 2022, Sonaullah Bhat (62) son Ghulam Hassan Bhat of Malangam Bandipora died while waiting in a queue to submit an old age pension form in the north Kashmir district.
During that period, The Kashmiriyat reported several stories on the issue from various districts of Kashmir valley on how old-age pension beneficiaries were forced to stand outside designated offices for hours despite the intense cold.
“We are living under extremely miserable conditions and it has forced us to run from pillar to post to get our social welfare aid resume. All our efforts have failed, but a few days ago, some workers of a political party visited our home in Badibath area of Matrigam assuring help to get our aid of Rs. 1000 resumed. We have come here in that anticipation,” he said wiping the sweat off his face.
Meanwhile, Chief Electoral Officer Pandurang Kondbarao Pole Thursday said that the Baramulla Parliamentary constituency recorded approximately 59 percent voter turnout, marking the highest polling percentage in the democratic history of the constituency.
He provided a historical comparison of polling percentages for the Baramulla Parliamentary constituency: 2019: 34.57% 2014: 39.13% 2009: 41.84% 2004: 35.65% 1999: 27.79% 1998: 41.94% 1