Sopore Sheds 'Chhota Pakistan' Tag as Voter Turnout Surges

Once dubbed "chhota Pakistan", Jammu and Kashmir's Sopore town witnessed a remarkable shift as voters flocked to polling stations to exercise ir franchise in Lok Sabha elections, marking a departure from low participation witnessed in previous polls.

Formerly a hotbed of militancy and dominated by foreign terrorists in 1990s, Sopore and Rafiab areas experienced a resurgence of electoral engagement with a high voter turnout.

Sopore, lying in Baramulla district, is a part of Baramulla constituency.

Baramulla witnessed a closely-fought contest between National Conference leer Omar Abdullah, former two-time MLA and Independent candidate Engineer Rashid, and People's Conference chief Saj Lone.

Locals such as Ishfaq from Seelu village, who cast his first vote, expressed a newfound enthusiasm for democratic process driving positive change in his community.

"I am happy that, after missing my right to vote on previous occasion, I could vote today because, if I want to see things around me change, I have to be a part of change," he said.

Historically plagued by minimal turnout, Sopore and Rafiab witnessed a significant increase in voter participation this time, with Sopore recording 44.49 per cent and Rafiab 59.4 per cent, according to latest data.

Local voices, including Irfan Sheikh of Sopore, emphasised importance of civic engagement, underlining that change requires active participation rar than passive observation.

"People have to come out to vote as things don't change while staying indoors or by boycotting," says Sheikh, a resident of interiors of Sopore and an election agent of National Conference.

recent overtures me by banned Jamaat-e-Islami on entering electoral politics also contributed to increase in voter turnout, highlighting organisation's influence in region.

"No one can deny that banned group has an influence. In past, it used to threaten voters. But, today, nothing of that sort is happening," says Gazanfar Ali, a retired government servant.