Budgam, Nov 11 (KNO): Unlike the previous elections, Soibugh, the ancestral village of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, has once again witnessed a high voter turnout, with people coming out to cast their ballots for a change and the development of the region.
A similar high voter turnout was recorded for the first time in the 2024 elections.
Voters who had turned up at the polling station today told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO)—that the village has decided to vote for change this time to witness development on the ground.
Shaheen Ahmad Shah, 36, who voted today, said that he exercised his franchise to bring about change and pave the way for development here.
“Boycotting in the past has not benefited us anyway. We have been pushed to the wall so far. Nobody has listened to us in the last 60 years,” Shah said, adding that the situation is quite tough in the village, as residents are even being deprived of basic facilities.
“In this modern era, we are lacking even the basic facilities. We have no playground, no Degree College, no proper road connectivity in this village,” the voter said. He added that their lanes and by-lanes have been macadamized for the first time after 2019; otherwise, the interiors have never been blacktopped, Shah said.
Muhammad Shafi Khan, an ex-Panch and voter, also echoed similar views, saying that the village has been facing electricity issues, and the faulty drainage system has been leaving residents in a lurch. He added that the land of locals is being snatched in the name of the Hokersar wetland, and therefore, choosing the right candidate at this time could bring them at least some relief.
“Our vote is for change and development,” Khan said, adding that they have been completely ignored over the last several decades. “Such is the situation that the Public Health Centre (PHC), established in 1965, has not been upgraded. Even the PHC lacks equipment and proper manpower, which forces residents to visit health facilities outside Soibugh for a mere checkup.”
Expressing their faith in the local independent candidate, the voters hoped that their demands would be fulfilled if their candidate emerged victorious—(KNO)