Soon after the sun rise, the candidates and polling agents lined up outside the counting center setup at Mini Secretariat in Bandipora, making their entry after thorough security screening.
The day witnessed dramatic scenes filled with disappointments and cheers, outrage of the losing candidates and promises of the winning candidates.
As the counting started, the media fraternity decried lack of arrangements on part of the district authorities and staged a sit-in.
As soon as the matter was sorted out, the counting staff donning blue and pink aprons flocked with ballot boxes while the counting gathered pace.
At 1 pm, the candidates from Hajin-A constituency lost their cool when the election officials put the counting on hold.
Shazia Aslam, who originally hails from Muzaffarabad, Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK), and is married to an ex-militant, Muhammad Phaphoo in Banyari, Hajin was contesting from the constituency.
According to locals, her husband, Phaphoo had also participated in assembly elections a few years before.
Phaphoo, who was present at the counting center, told Greater Kashmir that the authorities at the center were delaying the counting by saying that it would start within sometime but no counting was taking place.
The other women candidates from the constituency also expressed outrage at the move.
“Why weren’t the nationality concerns addressed by the commission at the time of filing of nominations? One candidate has held all of us hostage,” said Abida, a contestant.
Later the candidates said, “We were advised to go home as the administration expressed helplessness before the Election Commission’s directive.”
Soon after this, all the opposing candidates walked out of the counting center of Bandipora-B DDC constituency alleging bogus votes had been polled.
The candidate of the Peoples’ Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) from Awami National Conference (ANC) accompanied by two independents and a BJP candidate walked out of the counting center in protest against Apni Party for allegedly resorting to “bogus voting” at Garoora village on the poll day, which they said was evident when they saw “ballot papers in bundles”.
“The presiding officers and counting staff are pulling out five to six ballot papers from ballot boxes of Garoora village, which are folded together and clearly indicate that bogus votes have been polled,” alleged ANC candidate Ghulam Mouhuidin Bhat, who was flanked by two independent candidates and a BJP candidate contesting from the constituency.
“A wrong has indeed happened and the Election Commission should take note and conduct re-polls here,” said Junaid Iqbal of BJP.
Meanwhile, BJP’s Aijaz Ahmad Khan, who won the only seat by BJP in the district from Tulail constituency in Gurez said he would work for the development of the villages of far-flung areas.
Meanwhile, Tasleema Nasreen, a PAGD candidate from National Conference won the Gurez constituency by 144 votes against a BJP candidate.
Another BJP candidate from Naidkhai, Naseer Ahmad who lost against NC, said, “I received around 1500 votes despite having a strong rival. I feel proud that people voted in my favour which indicated apart from the Almighty Allah, I also had the support of people.”
Much to the cheer of the tribal community, Ghulam Mustafa Khan from Hajin-B won by 639 votes while a PAGD candidate Kounsar Shafeeq from Bandipora-B won by 1949 votes.