Srinagar, Sep 18 (KNO): Voter turnout in the Tral area of Pulwama during today’s assembly elections reflects a pattern similar to last parliamentary elections which recorded around 37.52% participation. Residents from Tral, Awantipora and Pulwama actively cast their votes in the first phase of the polls held in Jammu & Kashmir after nearly a decade.
Mixed demographics were seen at polling stations, with men, women and the elderly stepping out to fulfill their civic duty.
Reports obtained by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) indicate strong participation in the Tral area. By afternoon, the Government Middle School Khnankah polling station reported 256 votes cast out of 850 registered voters.
At polling booth 56 in Awantipora C, 310 out of 849 registered voters had exercised their franchise by midday, with 437 males and 412 females participating. In polling station 49-Jawbrara, with 1,288 registered voters, 494 had voted by the afternoon. The Townhall Awantipora polling station 58 recorded 300 votes from a total of 1,140 voters, including 537 males, 603 females, and 17 migrants.
Although morning turnout was higher, the numbers dipped in the afternoon before slightly increasing during the late hours.
The Government Higher Secondary School Noorpora Awantipora, an area known for militancy, saw 778 votes cast out of 3,311 registered voters. This location has four polling booths: booth 62 with 142 votes, booth 63 with 229 votes, booth 64 with 227 votes, and booth 65 with 180 votes. The presence of over 500 migrant voters also impacted the turnout.
Dr Harbaksh Singh, who recently left the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and joined the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), expressed his satisfaction with the youth turnout at Government Middle School Khnankah. “Their participation is crucial for meaningful change,” he said.
As a current District Development Council (DDC) member, Singh urged voters to reject family-based politics and make their voices heard. He criticised other political figures for “aligning” with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Local resident Anas Khan from Awantipora expressed optimism about the voter turnout. “It’s encouraging to see so many people participating today, especially young voters committed to shaping our future,” he said.
Another young man from Noorpora Tral, who preferred to remain anonymous, said that locals are voting for self-governance, the release of loved ones from jail, and the liberation of PSA detainees. “We, the people of Tral, want to see the development of Kashmir, and for that, we cast our votes,” he said.
According to official data obtained by KNO, Pulwama-34 recorded a turnout of 50%, while Tral-33 saw 40%. Alongside the energetic youth, many elderly voters, some using walking sticks, also made their way to the polling booths to participate in the elections—(KNO)