| `Summer capital looks like a bride without bridal robes' | | An election without buntings, hoardings | | Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Apr 27: For the first time in the history of Kashmir, Srinagar shall go to polls without buntings and flags of political parties. A political commentator remarked that Srinagar is like a bride without bridal robes.
Srinagar has been a strong bastion of National Conference. On the occasion of elections, political activists would decorate it with buntings and flags especially in Lal Chowk area. However, this time not a single flag has been hoisted.
Similarly, in down town particularly in areas around Khankah-e-Moula (Fateh Kadal), the NC workers would turn everything red with NC flags. They would not allow workers of other political parties to raise hoardings. But this time, the historic area is quite. It is an election without political meetings, processions, slogans, buntings and flags. However, keeping alive a tradition, people are seen discussing politics in streets, tea stalls and other places.
The indifference of people viz-a-viz elections must have shocked the pro-accession parties. If the plough is missing, the pen and the ink-pot is nowhere to be seen. This reflects the mood of the people in the summer capital. If major political parties have fallen short of people to hoist their flags and fix their hoardings, the situation must be grim.
This also conveys that the political parties have lost ground since 2008. In the previous assembly elections, lot of buntings could be seen around the city. But this time they are finding it very difficult. |
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