The record voter turnout in the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency (highest since 1996) is likely to complicate the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) electoral strategy in Kashmir. The party appeared to have banked on low turnout considering that the fragmentation of the Valley’s political space will yield votes for new players (most of whom are accused of being BJP’s proxies) that have joined the fray.
Now, with the turnout finishing at 38 percent (in 2019, the turnout was 14.43 per cent), which is huge for a constituency that has historically sided with separatist-led boycott calls, it is likely that the very regional parties that the BJP wanted to keep at bay will emerge as victors.
The Srinagar city looked completely deserted on 13 May, barring the occasional traffic. The voters were walking in twos and threes to the polling stations to cast their ballot. The Quint toured at least seven polling booths across different parts of Srinagar to gauge the public mood.
The common refrain of the voters was centred around themes like unemployment, a hike in the electricity tariff, inflation, and drug addiction. Interestingly, no voter seemed inclined to talk about Article 370. Many did mention that they wanted to elect a candidate who was committed to protecting their “identity, jobs, and land.”