WELL BEGUN IS HALF DONE
Well begun is half done. The adage fits well to the conduct of the first leg of the seven-phased election to the Lok Sabha on Udhampur-Kathua-Doda seat with the electors exercising their franchise in a peaceful and smooth way. The first phase remains a pivotal endeavour for upholding democratic values and ensuring representation for all citizens. In light of the unique challenges and sensitivities in the region, meticulous planning, stringent security measures, and robust electoral processes have been implemented to facilitate a fair and transparent election. Collaborative efforts between the government, security forces, UT Election Office, and local stakeholders have been paramount to ensure the safety of voters, candidates, and election officials while upholding the integrity of the electoral process. Credit for all this goes to Chief Electoral Officer Pandurang K Pole.
The Chief Electoral Officer deserves commendation for his exceptional management and smooth conduct of elections in one of the sensitive regions. His leadership, along with the dedication of election officials and security personnel, has ensured the integrity and fairness of the electoral process. The successful polling in Udhampur showcases the efficacy of collaborative efforts, meticulous planning, and stringent implementation of electoral protocols. Pandurang Pole’s commitment to upholding democratic values and ensuring the participation of all eligible voters is commendable and sets a positive precedent for the next six phases in this poll season.
Such was the ambience of the democratic festivity that an estimated 65 percent of voters exercised their right to vote till 5:00 PM despite incessant rains. This figure is likely going to be slightly higher when the latest data is compiled by the Election Office. Incident free polling in the constituency, dominated by sensitive and hyper sensitive polling booths, is a good omen for successful accomplishment of elections in all the upcoming phases across the Union Territory. The smooth and successful conduct of polls in Udhampur is also a testament to the commitment of Pole, underscoring his strategic guidance and effective management beyond any iota of doubt.
Udhampur Parliamentary Constituency has a total of 16.23 lakh voters including 8.45 lakh male and 7.77 lakh female electors.The total electorates includes around 23637 persons with disability besides 403 persons above 100 years of age who have been enrolled to participate in the electoral process. A day ahead of the polling, the CEO had given an overview of the Constituency saying around 2,637 polling stations had been put in place to provide voters opportunity to exercise their democratic rights. Every polling station was provided with Assured Minimum Facilities (AMF) besides wheel chairs for the needy. About 19 polling booths were manned by women, 14 by specially abled persons and 17 looked after by youths.