Former finance minister Syed Altaf Bukhari Thursday stated that he voted for the “towering personality who has guts to stand up against New Delhi”.
Soon after casting his vote at a polling station set up inTyndale Biscoe school here, Bukhari said people have to “send a toweringpersonality to the Parliament who can defend their identity and safeguard thespecial status of J&K”.
“Today’s vote is important as the person for whom we votehas to represent us to defend our identity. He has to be the man of thatstature and caliber who can stand up to the powers in Delhi, which are hellbent upon destroying our identity,” Bukhari told Greater Kashmir.
“We need to send a towering leader who can talk aboutKashmir and who would be taken seriously as well,” he said.
He said the previous regime failed to come up to theexpectations of the people, which proved costly for the state as many youthlost their lives and started hitting streets against the government.
“I am not associated with any party. It’s a reality that DrFarooq is a towering leader among all candidates and should be sent to theParliament. Farooq Abdullah is the best choice in Srinagar,” Bukhari said.
There was a festive mood in various polling booths in theAmira Kadal assembly segment. Long queues were seen at some polling stations,with several voters, including men and women, openly announcing their supportfor the National Conference.
“This time we support NC because we want our representativeto be taken seriously in the Parliament,” said a group of young women voters.
At a polling station in SP college, voters from Chinar Baghand Barbarshah areas were enthusiastic about casting their vote. Several votershere said they cast their votes against the BJP.
“I voted for Farooq Abdullah because he alone can defendArticles 35 A and 370. We need a representative in the Parliament who can raisethe issue of attacks on Kashmiri students in states outside J&K,” saidShah-ul-Islam from Barbarshah.
“We don’t want to waste our vote because it will not benefitus. We are not casting our votes to get jobs or monetary benefits. We want tosafeguard our identity and for this we need to send a daring personality to theParliament. Farooq Abdullah is the best choice,” said Mushtaq Ahmad Tramboofrom Chinar Bagh.
Two hundred nineteen out of 721 votes were polled at SPcollege polling station till 11.45am.
Meanwhile, polling stations set up in the animal husbandrydepartment at Maisuma and Kothi Bagh higher secondary school witnessed a verylow turnout, with voters largely staying away from the electoral exercise. Till11.45am, only three votes were polled at Barrow Ghat polling station set up atthe Kothi Bagh school.
“We have to get issues of sadak, bijli and pani resolved,and we should use our vote for the purpose. I always vote for NationalConference,” said Abdul Ahad, one of the three voters, at Kothi Bagh school.