Kashmiris vote for change in election's second phase

Srinagar/Jammu: It was another vote for change, for a stab at normalcy after years spent under the shadow of the gun in the volatile hills of Jammu and Kashmir where people on Sunday again defied a separatist boycott call to queue up outside polling booths in round two of the assembly elections.

After an impressive 64 per cent turnout in the first round of the seven-phase elections last week, six of the state's 87 assembly constituencies went to the polls - two in the Muslim majority Kashmir valley and four in the Hindu dominated Jammu region.

The long queues pointed to a high voting percentage yesterday as well.

By close of day at 4pm, 45 per cent of voters had exercised their franchise in Ganderbal and 55 per cent in Kangan of the Kashmir Valley - with 22 candidates and an electorate of 137,560 - where the exercise had got off to a sluggish start at 8am because of the morning chill. It was significantly higher at 60 per cent in Jammu's four constituencies of Kalakot, Rajouri, Nowshera and Darhal, which have 353,457 voters and 59 candidates. All four constituencies are in the hilly district of Rajouri.

In a state that has so often resounded with cries of "Freedom!", the sentiment yesterday - as on November 17 during the first phase - was one of longing for better quality of life.

Issues of road connectivity, schools, water and electricity drew voters to the ballot box both in Kashmir and in Jammu - that have been without an elected government since July.

"It is time to vote, the boycott would only damage our cause for development," said Raufullah Lone, a retired teacher in Rajouri town.

Mohammad Hanif, 28, said in Ganderbal, from where National Conference leader Omar Abdullah is contesting: "I have cast my vote. It is a right I want to exercise."

New Delhi: Sonia begins campaign

Terrorism had no religion but some parties were trying to associate it with a particular religion or community to further their divisive policies, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said yesterday as she kicked off her election campaign in the capital.

Addressing a rally in Delhi, Gandhi said ahead of the Delhi elections on November 29: "Such parties want to grab power at any cost." The Congress president avoided naming any political party. She said the nation's biggest challenges are terrorism and communalism. "Terrorists have no religion and their only motive is to spread terror and fear in the society," she told the gathering in northwest Delhi's Mongolpuri locality.

Taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), she said: "The BJP wants to form the government for itself while the Congress wants to form the government for the people to fight the challenges before the country and to continue its development work." She said it was the result of the Congress performance that the party was ruling Delhi for the last 10 years under the leadership of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.