In a remarkable display of ‘Nari Shakti’ (women power), all-women staffed booths, known as ‘pink booths’, witnessed enthusiastic participation from women voters, especially from the Muslim community, in the Doda district of the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency amid stringent security arrangements.
Despite heavy rainfall, over 22 per cent of voters exercised their franchise in the initial four hours of polling during the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur parliamentary constituency.
The ‘pink booths’, established to encourage women’s participation, saw a surge of women voters, with many expressing delight at the experience. At the Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School in Doda town, women queued up eagerly, praising the Election Commission’s initiative.
Arifa Begum, a first-time voter, shared her enthusiasm, stating, “We are very happy to vote for the first time at these all-women polling booths. There are very good facilities. We are enjoying voting.” She noted that the initiative had notably increased female participation, echoing praise for the Election Commission.
Nineteen such ‘pink booths’ were set up across the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency, where all personnel, including police and security, were women, enhancing the comfort and accessibility for women voters.
Sunita Devi, another first-time voter, described the ‘pink booth’ experience as festive, highlighting the attractive decorations. “Such an initiative will attract more women to the polling booths and will increase the turnout. It’s an innovative step to increase the female turnout,” she commented.
Election officials noted a significant rush of voters throughout the day, crediting the initiative with heightened female voter engagement. Polling stations across the constituency opened at 7 am, welcoming over 16.23 lakh electors to exercise their right to vote peacefully.
The polling in Udhampur will determine the fate of 12 candidates, including Union Minister Jitendra Singh, seeking a third term. Notably, this election marks a significant political event post the abrogation of Article 370 and the restructuring of Jammu and Kashmir into Union Territories in August 2019.
Among the key contenders are Congress leader and former MP Choudhary Lal Singh and the DPAP’s G M Saroori, alongside six independent candidates, adding depth to this pivotal electoral contest.