The Anantnag by-polls culminated with brisk voting on Wednesday evening, after a muted start. The final count stood at around 34 percent with women voters registering a predominant presence. The by-polls were significant since Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was a candidate and fighting the election in a constituency earlier represented by her deceased father and former chief minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
Even though the voting this time was less than that registered during the Assembly election, experts are of the view that the peaceful and transparent manner in which the process was conducted comes across as a referendum for the coalition government that Mehbooba is heading.
A larger voter turnout in the rural areas as compared to the urban segments indicates the aspiration fro democracy and development at the grassroots feel experts.
Separatists and terrorist groups had called for a complete boycott of the polls. A notable rise in terrorist initiated violence in South Kashmir districts during the build up to the By-polls with specific targeting of police personnel is seen to be pressure tactics by anti-national forces to scuttle the election. However, barring an incident of stone pelting in old Anantnag town the polls went off peacefully.
"The separatists made stringent demand of boycott but on D-day they were nowhere to be seen. This clearly reflects their tenuous position on ground. It seems that that, in actuality, they want a government in place," says Dr. Simrit Kahlon, an academician and analyst deeply interested in Jammu and Kashmir.
Credit goes to the security forces and the state administration who oversaw a smooth election despite the high political stakes involved.
Apart from Mehbooba Mufti, the popular faces in the fray include Iftikhar Hussain Misgar of the National Conference and Hilal Ahmad Shah of the Congress.
All eyes are now on the election result which will be announced on June 25.
