Srinagar: "This time Srinagar will vote in large numbers. I hope people come out to vote in all 8 Assembly seats here. The Abdullah's government must be defeated at any cost. They have done nothing for us after the flood. We are left to die" says an angry taxi driver Irfan Khan.
Srinagar, the state capital and the largest city in the entire Jammu & Kashmir is notorious for its indifferent attitude towards voting.
Srinagar always records one of the lowest percentage of votes in the general elections. However voters like Irfan think that the recent devastating flood seems to have changed that trend.
They feel that the only way they can take revenge on the ruling National Conference (NC) government is coming out to vote in big numbers against the ruling party.
Srinagar had recorded just a little over 20% voting in the 2008 Assembly elections. It was much lesser in the elections held before that.
The separatists always ask the voters to boycott the elections and they have been quite successful in enforcing the ban.
But, this time the voters across Srinagar are very angry. They are seething with anger. The killer flood has taken away everything from many people and the so-called relief work is moving at a snail's pace.
Most poor and lower middle class people complain that they got nothing from the government in the form of compensation.
The denial of compensation, extreme corruption, the chief minister Omar Abdullah led government's indifferent attitude and a desire for change hoping something better are said to be the reasons behind the change of heart among the voters of Srinagar.
All eight constituencies in Srinagar were won by the NC in 2008, many by a thin margin.
Gulam Mohammad the 85 years old voter in the city says that people are tired of Abdullah dynasty and they want to put an end to it in this election.
Speaking to IBNLive at Habba Kadal, one of the assembly seats he said "if the people don't vote in big numbers, the National Conference may win a few seats with the backing of their vote bank. If we vote in large numbers, they will be defeated. This time, our vote is for change. We want to teach a lesson to the government which has done nothing for us".
For the first time, the BJP has launched a high decibel campaign in the Kashmir valley. The party mascot and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's huge billboards have sprung up across Srinagar. He is also addressing a public election meeting in Srinagar on December 6.
It is pinning its hopes on Amira Kadal where it has fielded a qualified dental surgeon Dr. Hina Bhat and Habba Kadal, where it has fielded a Kashmiri Pandit Motilal Kaul. These two seats have a considerable number of Kashmiri Pandit voters who are residing outside the state.
According to local political analysts, in case of a very low turn out, the BJP may spring a surprise. If the voting percentage goes up, the BP will have no chance.
When IBNLIVE visited these constituencies situated in the old city, lot of voters said that they would go out to vote this time. According to them the People's Democratic Party (PDP) led by former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and his daughter Mehbooba Mufti is clearly ahead of the ruling National Conference in Srinagar.
The Congress, which was a part of the NC led alliance till recently is fighting for its survival.
As a BJP supporter says they have nothing to lose in this election in the Kashmir valley. According to him even a few hundred extra votes are a big bonus. If the party manages to win even a single seat, it will be a record.
A voter from Amira Kadal Mohammad Khan says that there is some support for the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the city and in some parts of the valley.
Elaborating on this he said "I don't know if these sentiments get translated into votes for Modi. But, one can't deny the fact that some people here think that he can do something".
Even after three months, flood relief work has not taken off. Most parts of the city are still struggling to stand on their feet. All residents blame the National Conference government for their plight. They argue that the only way to express their anger is go out and vote in large numbers.
Some even see it as plot to defeat the BJP or to prevent it from gaining a foothold in the Kashmir valley.
Despite the separatists call for a boycott, the electioneering is happenning across Srinagar. Even the BJP posters, banners and bunting are competing with the two major local political parties the PDP and the NC.
Electioneering is expected to reach a crescendo when the PM Narendra Modi will arrive in Srinagar to address a rally on December 6.
Polling in Srinagar's eight constituencies will be held in the fourth phase on December 14 and 95 candidates are in the fray for the 8 seats.
CM Omar Abdullah is contesting from Sonawar. The NC general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar is taking on the PDP candidate and former trade unionist Khurshid Alam in Khanyar. The NC's provincial president Nasir Aslam Wani is pitted against the BJP's Muslim face Dr. Hina Bhat in Amira Kadal and BJP's Pandit face Motilal Kaul in neighbouring Habba Kadal.
There are 38 Independent candidates in Srinagar. Seven sitting legislators are also seeking re-election.
The main opposition PDP which is making a serious efforts to emerge as the single largest party is confident that Srinagar will come out to vote in large numbers in the elections. "People are realising that elections have no bearing on the Kashmir issue. I am confident that people will vote because they understand that there is an administrative need," a PDP leader told 'The Tribune'.
In Srinagar, the main focus is on door to door campaigning. All the candidates and their supporters are visiting each and every house seeking votes.
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