First in Kashmir: Disabled man in Srinagar votes from home

Ali Mohd Rather, a visually impaired person, became the first to cast his vote under the new home voting facility for the Lok Sabha election for J&K's Srinagar constituency. Polls for Srinagar are scheduled to be held in the fourth phase on May 13.

Rather, a resident of Dara area, voted from his home taking advantage of the 'Vote from Home' facility introduced by the Election Commission of India for this election for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, with a bench mark of 40% disability.

"It was very easy for me to vote from home without the discomfort of moving out," said Rather.


Officials said Rather became the first person in the Kashmir Valley to cast his vote through the home voting facility.

Another voter from Zadibal area of Srinagar, 100-year-old Ghulam Mohammad Latoo, also used the facility to vote from home.

"This initiative has helped me a lot as I would have faced difficulty in going to a polling station. Besides it would have impacted my daily work as well," Latoo told reporters.

The Srinagar constituency has 17.44 lakh voters out of which 11,647 are registered as persons with disabilities.

The officials informed that about 300 eligible voters are exercising their franchise using postal ballots at their respective homes and places.