New Delhi: Happy over the successful conduct of Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the Election Commission (EC) on October 11 paid a "special tribute" to the voter who kept faith with democracy and all others including security and election personnel who made it possible.

"The cacophony of the hustings over, the Election Commission of India would like to pay a special tribute to the voter of Jammu and Kashmir who has kept faith with democracy through endless tribulations," the Commission said in a statement.

It also paid tribute to "the indomitable candidate who in one constituency was assassinated, the undemanding, unsleeping jawan, military, paramilitary and police, cheerfully paying with his own life to protect candidates and polling parties and polling officers, often a stranger from Uttar Pradesh or Punjab survived IED, grenade and bullet and at times forfeited his life in the line of duty."

Gratitude was also expressed to the intrepid media person who not only treaded every possible danger but truthfully and creatively communicated the "historic" events of the elections to distant audience, and members of foreign diplomatic corps who took to every part of the state carefully picking up the facts with the youthful enthusiasm of the nineteenth century explorer.

PTI