Srinagar: With less than a week to go for the results of the Lok Sabha elections to be declared, the Kashmir Valley is abuzz with speculation and hope, setting the virtual world alight with activity.
The main candidates and their supporters have been all claimed the upper hand in a flurry of social media posts ever since polls for all three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir - Srinagar, Anantnag, and Baramulla - concluded on May 25.
For weeks, the election has dominated conversations, with debates raging over which parties and candidates can best serve the region’s interests post the abrogation of the erstwhile state’s special status under Article 370 of the Constitution by the Narendra Modi government in August 2019.
From the streets of Srinagar, going into the towns dotting the landscape, to the remote villages nestled in the mountains, social media buzz is palpable. Locals in offices, markets, homes and other public places are discussing the latest posts and speculating on the results.
Supporters of all the prominent parties – National Conference (NC), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), People’s Conference (PC) and Apni Party (AP), confidently proclaim victory in meticulously crafted posts on social media.
The digital claims of victory provide a sense of hope and excitement, a distraction from the anxiety of waiting. According to initial assessments, the NC holds edge in Srinagar and Anantnag seats over its arch-rival, the PDP.
However, in Baramulla seat, the race is neck and neck between two seasoned politicians with deep roots in the valley's political landscape - former chief minister and NC leader Omar Abdullah and PC president Sajjad Lone.
The entry of jailed independent candidate Sheikh Abdul Rashid aka Engineer Rashid - which ignited a political firestorm in Baramulla earlier this month - split the electorate, making the outcome unpredictable.
According to Election Commission figures, the voter turnout in Kashmir this time was the highest in a Lok Sabha election in the last 40 years with the Valley witnessing a ‘massive’ 30 percentage point jump in poll participation compared to 2019.
Published 30 May 2024, 07:55 IST