Enthusiasm was witnessed among women and first-time voters who came out to exercise their franchise in the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency poll. Pink booths established by all district administrations in the constituency witnessed heavy rush of women voters throughout the day.
As polling began this morning, a large number of women electors thronged the ‘pink booth’ set up at the Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School in Doda town to exercise their right to franchise despite heavy rain. Long queues of women were seen at these pink booths in Udhampur, Kathua, Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar where only women staff was present. These booths were set up to ensure that more and more women take part in the voting process.
Sadaf Jan (45), a resident of Udhampur who voted, said that the pink booths have provided relief to the women who otherwise are reluctant to come out of their homes for voting. She said that the voting process was made easy through these booths. Nineteen pink booths were set up only in Udhampur district for the elections. Even security personnel deployed at these booths are women. Mansi Sharma, a resident of Kathua district, said that long queues of men and women at polling booths might have made many women reluctant to stand there for long time. “However at the pink booths, the presence of only women voters and staffers made it possible for all women to come and cast their vote,” said Sharma.