In a joint statement, separatists leaders — Hurriyat chairmen Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief MohamadYasin Malik — hailed people “for complete and unprecedented poll boycott” for which they succeeded. People entirely were against elections and have strict opposition for polling . Everyone’s memories are fresh regarding recent unrest .so it was Impossible to have such elections. My opinion regarding the less turnout in polling elections besause of some ignorance by center Government. AS we know there was some improvement in past elections people used to vote particularly in rural areas for development and for their self interest. Now After each every year there is a change in polling status. People are coming aware for some realities. What they choose individually hardly matter for the collective choice. In the elections held in 2008, the National Conference lead by Omar Abdullah won 28 seats, People’s Democratic Party headed by Mehbooba Mufti secured 21 seats, the Congress won 17, BJP registered their win on 11, and others won 10 seats. After a clear majority win in the Indian general elections in May, Prime Minister Modi’s Hindu nationalist BharatiyaJanata Party (BJP) is participating in the elections with a mission to bag more than 44 seats, in order to win power for the first time in the tense Muslim-majority state. The BJP traditionally has no roots in the Kashmir Valley, where people are disgruntled at the Indian rule. It was reported from different parts of South Kashmir (Zawoora, Kellar and Manloo) that the Indian Army stormed the houses of residents at late hours, dragged youth out of their homes and compelled them to paste election posters and banners of the BJP in different localities of the district. In many areas of Jammu & Kashmir the turnout was bottom low with very few votes cast. In some areas where the local leaders including MirwaizUmerFrooq were busy in the rehabilitation of flood affected people, limited number of people did come out to cast their vote, to counter the 
fear of BJP’s victory in the elections, however, the turnout was still very low, unlike what the Indian media has been projecting. Prime Minister Modi’s party is hoping to win over independents, engineer splits in regional parties and even get those Hindus/Sikhs who fled during the revolt to register and vote, in order to accomplish BJP’s mission 44 plus seats. During the 3rd Phase of the elections in the Tral area of south Kashmir, Muslims had boycotted the elections following calls by Kashmiri leaders but after Sikhs turned up in lines to vote for BJP, the Muslims decided to cast their votes in favour of the other regional parties, such as the National Conference (NC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to counter BJP. In the native village of Muhammad Afzal Guru, where during the general elections earlier this year, not a single person turned up to vote, only two votes were cast in GhatSeetJagir’s polling booth number 89, during the third phase of the election. As the news spread in the village regarding the two votes that were polled, angry people came out to search for the two voters, alleging they might be working for the Indian security agencies. The only reason being that the Kashmiri people are not interested in elections, which can only promise them “Insaaniyat, Kashmiriyat and Jamhooriayat” but not “Azaadi”. These slogans are empty without the promise of “Azaadi” and rejected by the people of Kashmir. A mere 2% turnout was witnessed in the re-polling held in 38 polling stations under the Srinagar LokSabha constituency, making it the lowest percentage in the state’s history, election officials said. As everyone in aware of the environment and prevailing situation in Kashmir. The recent unrest and the conduct of election are two different aspects but are running in similar stream. A record low turnout and a high incidence of violence were witnessed on Sunday during the by-election in the parliamentary seat of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir. As nearly 200 instances of violence were recorded in Kashmir, in which eight people died and about 100s of people were injured, the turnout was found to be 7 per cent – the lowest in 30 years. The violence took place as protesters targeted poll booths amid a boycott call by separatists. By-elections for assembly and parliamentary seats were held in eight other states on Sunday.
There are few avenues for the diverse populations of Jammu and Kashmir to be included in more formal peace processes. I believe that there can be greater participation in election but only after refferdrum is decleared. That means free will or consent is given to people accordingly for growth and for political solution for the people of this area.
Violence was also reported from other parts too, in which several people were said to be injured..The counting of votes as been declared now. 6.5% and 2% on re-polling. In Srinagar, the stakes are high for National Conference patriarch DrFarooq Abdullah, who is contesting against Peoples’ Democratic Party’s Nazir Khan. Altogether, nine candidates are in fray for the seat that fell vacant after PDP leader Tariq HameedKarra resigned in the aftermath of the protests following the death of HizbulMujahideen commander BurhanWani. In a joint statement, separatists leaders — Hurriyat chairmen Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief MohamadYasin Malik — hailed people “for complete and unprecedented poll boycott” on April 9. “People’s verdict is loud and clear. It showed commitment to achieving their fundamental political right. It is a victory and the deferment of polls vindicates that State rulers and pro-Indian parties have virtually accepted defeat,” said the joint statement. “ As Election boycott is a significant part of a movement where people will boycott these elections,” Any elections to Parliament, Assembly, Panchayats or municipalities, “will not serve any purpose”. conclusions by there movement. Only some efficient policy can distract them from such movement. Peace was our origin but now peace become our Goal. So everyone wants peace for Kashmir but only we must have some common policy for it.Hurriyat concept or Election concept both are useless if people are losing their more lives. People’s verdict is loud and clear. It showed commitment to achieving their fundamental political right. If it is a victory and the deferment of polls vindicates that State rulers and pro-Indian parties have virtually accepted defeat.
Government of India’s own index of treating elections as a gauge of people’s faith in Indian democracy “stands completely exposed”. As they showed international community that people of Kashmir believe in democracy and jammu and Kashmir part of india. Election boycott is a significant part for their movement and people will boycott these elections. Parliament, Assembly, Panchayats or municipalities, “will not serve any purpose”. As everyone know the reality behind election. On Thursday, repolling in 38 booths for Srinagar LokSabha constituency saw an abysmally low turnout at 1.4 percent till 12 pm. The repoll was ordered in Chadoora, Chrar-e-Sharief, Khansahib and Beerwah areas in Budgam after widespread street protests on Sunday killed eight people and saw only 7.4 percent turnout.That 7.4 percent was, however, not the lowest that Jammu and Kashmir has ever recorded. This is how the numbers stacked up in the last few decades. There are few avenues for the diverse populations of Jammu and Kashmir to be included in more formal peace processes. I believe that there can be greater participation in election but only after refferdrum is decleared. That means free will or consent is given to people accordingly for growth and for political solution for the people of this area. To complement efforts at governmental level, is key to achieving a sustainable peace in the region. There is a support and work done in all regions for the disputed area – which is administered by united nations respectively. Alongside this, we have to sacrifice something as we are doing since long to achieve more international interest. It would entail the creation of “joint or cooperative” institutions under the charge of Kashmiri leaders to coordinate policies on the matters of common interest. Everything except foreign policy and defence would be locally and jointly administered and these two would be handled by New Delhi and Islamabad respectively. If all this worked and peace was restored, then the final element of peace formula would be the “agreed itself.
————- (The author a student at University of Kashmir Srinagar writes on current political events in Kashmir exclusively for “Kashmir Horizon”.The views of the author are his personal)
