Deeming ‘little expectations', many border area voters use 'NOTA’

PS BALI

Jammu, Dec 14: A section of voters in border villages of Ramgarh and Chamlyal in the Samba district chose to exercise the newly-introduced 'None Of The Above’ (NOTA) option today saying they have "little expectations" from any of the political parties in the electoral battle.

"This election has given us a unique opportunity to press the NOTA button,” said Sham Singh, who listed number of problems faced by his village in Chamlyal, just three kilometers away from International Border.

Sham added that he had been exercising his vote since 1978, after retiring from Army, but till date he has not found any compassionate leader, who had worked for the development of the area.

Echoing his views, a voter who did not wish to be identified said that the NOTA option should have been introduced long back as the ‘Constitution has guaranteed everyone to exercise their rights’, “I don’t find any legitimate leader here, but still I want to cast my vote in respect of constitution,” he added.

Scores of voters across the village said they exercised the NOTA option to ‘alter’ the nature of political contest. A number of youngsters at Chak Balotrian in Ramgarh said they did not vote for any party and instead pressed the NOTA button.

However, a large number of people in Birpur and Badhori polling stations of the constituency said they were not aware of NOTA.

"No, we are not aware of any such options available to us (voters). I knew only that we had to choose from one of the candidates," said Parul Sharma, a housewife from Vijaypur constituency at a Model Polling Station.

In Karothli pooling booth, first-time voters were unaware of any such options existing for the voters.

Pertinently two constituencies viz Vijaypur and Samba of the district went to polls along with 14 other constituencies of three districts in Kashmir today in the fourth and penultimate phase of the ongoing elections.