Sopore, Aug 26: Amid tight security arrangements, Asia’s second largest fruit mandi in Sopore Saturday witnessed elections after five years, in which Fayaz Ahmed Malik alias Kaka Ji emerged as the winner and was re-elected as the president.
The day-long elections of fruit Mandi, which was held after 5-years, was held with a great fervour and excitement among the candidates. Earlier, the elections were held in the year 2018, where Fayaz Ahmed Malik alias Kaka Ji was declared as the winner.
Amid a festive atmosphere, people affiliated with the fruit mandi participated in the elections with great enthusiasm. The election was conducted in a free, fair, peaceful and transparent manner by the members of the election committee including poll observers. Besides, a large number of men from Jammu and Kashmir Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were deployed in and around the polling station in order to maintain law and order.
“This was a much hyped election and conducting it in a peaceful manner was a challenging task, that’s why the security measures were taken up and deployment was made to make a way for smooth polls”, said a police official.
A total number of two candidates were in fry Fayaz Ahmed Malik and Mushtaq Ahmed Tantray. In a turn out, Fayaz Ahmed alias Kaka Ji emerged as winner with 102 votes.
The winning candidate got 499 votes while the runner up got 397 votes out of 931, while 33 votes got rejected.
Meanwhile, firecrackers, cheers and whistles mark the victory of the elected president, even as the people in large numbers could be seen visiting him at his Achabal residence to congratulate him, while pinning hopes on the newly elected president.
Talking to KNO, the president Fayaz alias Kaka Ji, expressed his gratitude to the people and acknowledged that their support and strength played a crucial role in his victory. He humbly credited his win to their unwavering backing and affirmed that he is once again elected as the winner due to their immense support.
While acknowledging the significance of elections, Malik appealed to everyone to resume their work at earliest. He recognized the challenges and obstacles faced during the campaign, emphasizing that winning again was indeed a difficult task. However, he maintained unwavering faith in his supporters, whose dedication and efforts made this victory possible.
Malik also promised his continuous commitment to the people, stating that he will be there for them until his last breath. He expressed his determination to work tirelessly for them and to facilitate the growth and development of the fruit Mandi.
He said for the betterment of fruit Mandi and for the welfare of people affiliated with this industry is always on priority. “Won’t let people down, always for them”, Malik added.
Notably, Fruit Mandi plays a pivotal role in the economy of Jammu and Kashmir. It acts as a hub, as it gives livelihood to hundreds of people through one way or the other. KNO
