Several political parties organised musical and folk dance shows in a bid to woo voters in the Srinagar-Budgam parliamentary constituency which is going to polls in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.
For the National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah,who is contesting from Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, reaching out to the people witha smiling face, traditional folk dance and women singing ‘wanwun’ is a “treatfor eyes”.
“This is all about Kashmir,” Abdullah told a group of votersin the interiors of Dal Lake here recently.
Farooq along with dozens of NC leaders reached out to peopleliving in the interiors of Dal in a shikara rally, with Kashmiri song ‘LehraAay Kashmir Kay Jhanday Lehra’ reverberating throughout his electioncampaigning there.
Senior NC leader and former legislator from Habba Kadalassembly constituency in Srinagar, Shameema Firdous, said that it is after along gap that women supporters of their party are coming out in large numbersreciting ‘wanwun’ while their youth supporters dance on music during the pollcampaigning.
“This is people’s own decision and the party has no role init,” she claimed. “But we are feeling happy over it as it signifies people’ssupport for NC which wants to protect Kashmir’s special identity”.
In one of the election rallies in Srinagar, drummers wereseen cheering up the supporters while a few women sang traditional songs forthe candidate.
In some PDP rallies too, similar scenes were witnessed.
“We have seen various shades of public participation inelectioneering in the state. At some places, the involvement of people has beenmore visible and colorful than elsewhere,” said PDP leader Aijaz Mir. “The waywomen supporters are coming out to sing songs in favour of our presidentMehbooba Mufti is really a treat for our eyes. I haven’t seen such anenthusiasm among the party workers before”.
For the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Khag area of Budgamdistrict was an “perfect site to start wooing voters by organising a folk danceshow, followed by singing of traditional songs by some prominent singers”.
“This was done to create enthusiasm among the voters towardsBJP. After playing Kashmiri songs, large number of women also sang wanwun infavour of our candidate for Srinagar seat, Khalid Jehangir,” said Altaf Thakur,BJP’s state spokesman.
He said the party also organised a rally in Srinagar onTuesday where they had hired some folk dancers and singers for electioneering.
“Due to rain, the rally was held inside a house but weenjoyed the campaigning and Kashmiri songs,” he said. “We had also planned asimilar show at Ganderbal.”
A senior police officer said the parties were givenpermission for the rallies and musical shows at “designated places” in Kashmir.
“Wherever such rallies were held, we provided the parties,candidates and their supporters a proper security cover,” he said, wishinganonymity.