Jammu Tawi: Amid multi-tier security arrangements, ‘Nari Shakti' (women power) was on display at the all-women staffed booths known as ‘pink booths', in the Doda district of the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency.
These ‘pink booths' attracted more women voters, especially from the Muslim community.
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 the Doda town to exercise their right to franchise despite heavy rains. Queued up in long lines, they were happy to vote at the ‘pink booth'.
“We are very happy to vote for the first time at these all-women polling booths. There are very good facilities. We are enjoying voting,” said Arifa Begum, who cast her vote at the ‘pink booth' in Doda.
She said this initiative has increased the number of women thronging this polling station. “We praise this initiative of the Election Commission,” she added.
Nineteen ‘pink booths' have been established in the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency. In these model all-women polling stations, all staffers, including police and security personnel, are women, officials said.
Sunita Devi, a first-time voter who cast her vote at the ‘pink booth', said it looked like she had come to a place of festival as the booth was decorated. “Such an initiative will attract more women to the polling booths and will increase the turnout. It's an innovative step to increase the female turnout,” she said.
Poll officials said there has been a rush for voting since morning. It seems the initiative has attracted more women voters this time, they said.
