Lok Sabha Election 2024: First Lok Sabha Election in Kashmir after the removal of Article 370; tourists to be witnesses, know the preparations.
Srinagar, 1st April 2024: In the months of May and April, the Kashmir Valley blooms with tourists. At the same time, Lok Sabha elections will also reach their peak here. Tourists from around the world will become witnesses to the largest democracy. Voting will take place in May on all three seats related to Kashmir. First, voting will take place in the Anantnag-Rajouri region on May 7th. Lastly, on May 20th, voting will take place in Baramulla-Kupwara. Millions of tourists from across the country and around the world who are coming here will witness firsthand this enthusiasm of the voters. The special thing is that the election is taking place at a time when the tourism season in Kashmir is at its peak.
During such times, there is a huge influx of domestic and international tourists to tourist destinations across the valley. After the spread of the coronavirus, there has been a sharp increase in the number of tourists and every year, new records are being set. Even during the election season, there doesn’t seem to be any decrease in advance bookings by tourists. The voting for all three seats related to Kashmir will take place in May. In the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency, voting will be held on May 7th, in Srinagar-Ganderbal on May 13th, and for the North Kashmir’s Baramulla-Kupwara seat, voting will take place on May 20th. In such a scenario, tourists visiting villages near the Line of Control in northern Kashmir or popular tourist destinations like Pahalgam in southern Kashmir will not only feel the electoral atmosphere of Kashmir but will also get acquainted with the changing glimpses of Kashmir. Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Pahalgam, Mughal Gardens, Dal Lake, and other globally renowned tourist destinations are experiencing full bookings. According to an official from the tourism department, from April to May-June, the number of tourists is the highest in the valley because the weather here is more pleasant compared to other parts of the country.
Key Points:
1. The changing situation in the Kashmir Valley after the abrogation of Article 370.
2. Nearly 90,000 tourists visited the Tulip Garden in Srinagar within 10 days.
3. Approximately 1 million tourists took a ride on the Gondola in Gulmarg last year.
4. In 2023, Jammu and Kashmir received a total of 21.1 million tourists.
During the times of terrorism, whenever Lok Sabha or Legislative Assembly elections were conducted in Kashmir, voters used to brave separatist strikes and warnings of election boycotts to reach polling stations. Since the abrogation of Article 370, the situation in the valley has completely changed. Youngsters are now joining the mainstream, abandoning guns and stones. An official from the tourism department revealed that in recent years, especially since the removal of Article 370 in 2019, there has been a record increase in the number of tourists visiting the valley. This number has been consistently rising. The tourism sector was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. In 2023, Jammu and Kashmir welcomed 21.1 million tourists. In May-June 2023 alone, over 1.9 million tourists enjoyed the natural beauty of Kashmir. In the fiscal year 2023-24, over 1 million tourists took a ride on the Gondola in Gulmarg, setting a new record. The number of tourists visiting here has more than doubled. In the last 10 days, nearly 90,000 tourists have visited the newly opened Tulip Garden in Srinagar. This number is significant considering it is during the month of Ramadan, and the number of local tourists is relatively low.
