“In the fast changing political scenario the people of Jammu & Kashmir voters hope that their trust is not trampled again and again”.
The high turnout is shows concerns of people on role of public representatives in institutional accountability and governance in Jammu & Kasmir. The change in political narratives may or may not change public perceptions about the performance of public representatives but higher turnout calls for change in the priorities of the public representatives in delivery of services, recruitments, and political accountability. The public representatives can sure be trusted to raise the standards of public representation. As voting is all about the urges and aspirations of the people, the public representatives claiming to be the custodians of democratic rights of the people should demonstrate a greater sense of ability to understand the urges and aspirations of the people in matters of governance including delivery of services, recruitment processes, working of investigative agencies in anti-corruption crusades and political accountability of the government functionaries. It is sheer pleasure to see people watching and comprehending the various factors that may impact them and finally decide over the person they give their valuable vote to. In the fast changing political scenario the people of Jammu & Kashmir voters hope that their trust is not trampled again and again. It is this vote which makes a government or brings down a government. Vote is a very strong and effective tool in the hands of a citizen and public representation as such is for promoting the working of the institutions of governance.
“People keep criticising public representatives for failing to live up to their commitment but unfortunately public representatives do not pay heed to public criticism for years together. Voters in the end demonstrate the courage to throw out the non performers to send out a message that real power is vested with them. Growing political awakening of the people is a wakeup call for non performers of yesteryears. ”
Since vote is for democracy, the importance of vote in the growth of political accountability of public functionaries cannot be overlooked. So by all standards of political understandabilities it can be said that where there is democracy, obviously there is privilege of voting. Though majority of voters in Jammu & Kashmir were reluctant to vote for the reasons of high priority to political conflict in previous elections but the underestimation of the electorate in the election process by the mainstream political parties drove the majority of the voters to polling booths across the state. A voter here in Jammu & Kashmir would often think that his or her one vote will make no difference to the political parties raising the issues of political conflicts in election times but the perception of the people changed for the reasons of insensitivity of the public representative toward the issues of the governance. The conduct of public representatives is to be blamed for low turnout of yesteryears for all reasons. People did not let it happen this time and preferred to stand in long queues and wait for their turn to vote to give public representatives of yesteryears yet another chance. People keep criticising public representatives for failing to live up to their commitment but unfortunately public representatives do not pay heed to public criticism for years together. Voters in the end demonstrate the courage to throw out the non performers to send out a message that real power is vested with them. Growing political awakening of the people is a wakeup call for non performers of yesteryears.
