Old or young, persons with disabilities at forefront of voting in J&K polls

Among crowds of enthusiastic voters as J&K voted in the second phase of the crucial Assembly polls on Wednesday, persons with disabilities, both young and old, were at the forefront, including a teenager in Reasi district who had just turned 18.

Karmanya Sharma, who was casting his vote for the first time, did not let his disabilities hamper him from exercising his right to franchise.

Elderly Mohd Sharief, on crutches, was another voter in Poonch and expressed his enthusiasm after voting. "I was the first voter today in my area. I request everyone to come out and cast your vote," he said in a video message shared by the information and public relations wing of the district.

His appeal emphasises the collective responsibility to participate in the electoral process, which the Election Commission has been relentlessly seeking.

Sharma and Sharief were among the inspiring stories of the elderly and persons with disabilities voters shared by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of J&K shared photos and a video on 'X' highlighting the participation of PwD's voters.

Even in the first phase of elections on September 18, both categories of voters were conspicuously in the lead.

Amid the lines of enthusiastic voters was a centenarian, who has been participating in India's festival of democracy without fail since the first Lok Sabha polls in 1951-52.

Prem Nath, who said he was almost 100 years old (99 years and 6 months), turned out to vote in Doda in the Jammu division.

Speaking to reporters after voting, Prem Nath, who said that he had retired from service in 1964, said he had always made it a habit to regularly cast his vote in all elections since India's first-ever parliamentary elections.

Noting he could not speak much, he stressed that casting votes was a responsibility in democracy and hence, he regularly came out to perform his duty, and appealed to all people to come out and exercise their franchise.

A 95-year-old man and 82-year-old woman, Bhag Dai also came out to vote in Doda, while there were many other examples of senior citizens, including those with age-related ailments or other disabilities who came out to vote, helped by their family members or volunteers at the polling booths.

A total of 26 seats in six districts - Poonch, Rajouri, and Reasi districts in the Jammu division and Ganderbal, Srinagar and Budgam districts of the Kashmir Valley - went to vote on Wednesday. The turnout was estimated at 54 per cent as of 5 p.m., as per the CEO's office.