Record-Breaking Voter Turnout Amidst Heavy Rainfall In Kishtwar

Record-Breaking Voter Turnout Amidst Heavy Rainfall In Kishtwar

Ashiq Butt | April 21, 2024 | 06:10 PM IST | Elections 2024, Jammu Kashmir, Kishtwar | Follow on Google News

Record-Breaking Voter Turnout Amidst Heavy Rainfall In Kishtwar

Record-Breaking Voter Turnout Amidst Heavy Rainfall In Kishtwar

Kishtwar, April 21st, 2024: Despite heavy rainfall, Kishtwar District witnessed an unprecedented voter turnout of 67.7% in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, surpassing all previous records. Under the supervision of District Election Officer Kishtwar, Dr. Devansh Yadav (IAS), polling concluded peacefully across all three assembly constituencies.

Exceptional Participation Despite Adverse Weather

Despite adverse weather conditions, voters exhibited great enthusiasm and participation, with polling commencing at 7 a.m and concluding at 6 p.m on April 19th, 2024. The voter turnout stood at 69% in 48 Inderwal AC, 65.4% in Kishtwar AC, and 70.1% in Paddar/Nagseni AC, out of a total of 1,75,897 eligible voters, with 1,19,163 individuals exercising their franchise.

Innovative Initiatives Boost Voter Engagement

The remarkable voter turnout can be attributed to extensive awareness initiatives undertaken by the District Election Office Kishtwar. These included rallies, street plays, door-to-door campaigns, art competitions, youth parliaments, and plantation drives. Integration of tourism with the electoral process, unveiling the “Snow Leopard” as the official election mascot, and democracy treks in remote areas also contributed to engaging voters.

A comprehensive 72-hour SVEEP plan was implemented before poll day to inform voters about their polling stations and encourage participation in low polling areas. Various innovative measures, including Model Polling Stations, waiting sheds, and provision of wheelchairs at polling stations, aimed to create an inclusive and welcoming voting environment.Through these initiatives, the District Election Office Kishtwar demonstrated its commitment to promoting voter participation and ensuring a smooth and inclusive electoral process, with an enhanced voter turnout of 67.7% compared to 60% in the 2019 Elections.

Additionally, the District Election Office ensured seamless transportation of polling parties, including airlifting to inaccessible areas with the assistance of the Indian Air Force and Indian Army. For the first time, the ECI introduced home voting through postal ballots for PWDs and elderly voters aged 85+, with polling parties visiting their homes to facilitate voting.The success of the Lok Sabha Elections in Kishtwar District reflects the unwavering commitment to democracy and voter empowerment, setting a commendable precedent for future electoral processes.

Ashiq Butt

Ashiq Butt – is VoM News's senior staffer worked since year 2015 and he deals with correspondency and social media handles. Hailing from Doda's Marmat, Ashiq has strong grip over the collection of the data and it's compiling feature.