An estimated number of 20-22 lakh voters are expected to be enrolled in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir as the special summary revision of electoral rolls is being held for the first time in the last four years after abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
Labelling it as a "challenging task" Chief Electoral Officer, J&K Hirdesh Kumar Singh Wednesday said that for the first time any Citizen of India Ordinarily residing in J&K for business, job or education can also register as Voter and exercise his/her right to franchise.
Interestingly, the announcement made by the Chief Electoral Officer during a press briefing in Jammu created flutter in the corridors of power especially in the Kashmir valley.
Reacting sharply to this announcement, two former Chief Ministers accused the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party of importing 'temporary votes' to win seats.
Vice President of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Omar Abdullah tweeted first in response to the media reports. He wrote,"Is the BJP so insecure about support from genuine voters of J&K that it needs to import temporary voters to win seats? None of these things will help the BJP when the people of J&K are given a chance to exercise their franchise".
On the other hand PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti said the main aim is to rule J&k with an iron fist and to disempower locals.
"GOIs decision to defer polls in J&K preceded by egregious gerrymandering tilting the balance in BJPs favour & now allowing non locals to vote is obviously to influence election results. Real aim is to continue ruling J&K with an iron fist to disempower locals", tweeted Mehbooba Mufti.
Referring to the marathon exercise of the special summary revision, Hirdesh Kumar Singh said around 600 new polling stations are coming up across Jammu Kashmir and the number of polling stations has been finalized at 11,370.
"The massive exercise to complete the process in time is going on to ensure that all the eligible voters including those who have attained the age of 18 years on October 1, 2022 or earlier are enrolled to provide an "error-free" final list, Kumar said briefing media persons in Jammu.
The Election Commissioner clarified that there was no bar for voting for non-locals. “It does not matter how long one has been staying in Jammu Kashmir. The ERO will take the final call on whether the non local has been residing in Jammu Kashmir or not. Those living here on rent can also vote,” the election Commissioner said.
He said that the only condition to get included in the voters list is that the person should have cancelled his/her voter registration from his/her native state.
Elaborating further about the entire exercise CEO said as part of the pre-revision activities, the process of rationalisation/ re-arrangement of polling stations, removal of discrepancies of demographically similar entries/ similar photo entries, duplicate EPICS, preparation of supplements and integrated draft roll is also going on at present’.
He said the projected population of J&K who are 18 plus are around 98 lakhs, while the number of enlisted voters are 76 lakh according to the last voter list.
"We are expecting an addition of 20 to 25 lakh new voters in the final list," Kumar said, adding the Booth Level Officers, Electoral Registration Officers, Assistant Electoral Registration officers and District Election Officers have been sensitized to ensure that the final list will be "error free" and will also cover all the eligible voters.
Kumar said there is no need for a person to have a domicile certificate of J&K to become a voter. "An employee, a student, a labourer or anyone from outside who is living ordinarily in J&K, can enlist his or her name in the voting list. The documents will be scrutinized by the government officials concerned who will take a decision after being satisfied about the claim." He said like in the past, many residents of J&K who are working in armed forces and paramilitary forces and are posted outside the Union Territory have an option to get themselves registered as service voters and can avail the facility of postal ballot to register their choice at the time of the elections.
"Likewise those from different parts of the country who are posted here have the option that if they are posted in a peace station they can enlist themselves as voters. Jammu is a peace station and anyone from outside posted in armed forces in the city can avail the option to enlist as a voter," he said.
Referring to the schedule notified by the ECI, Singh said, the Integrated Draft Roll, with reference to October 1, 2022 as the qualifying date, would be published by all EROs of the UT on September 15, 2022, marking the formal beginning of the revision activities.
He said the Commission has extended the period for filing of claims and objections from 30 days to 40 days: from September 15, 2022 to October 25, 2022. During this period Special camps would also be organised by CEO Jammu and Kashmir on weekends for which the date will be publicised separately.
Objections could be filled through multiple platforms- offline by submitting a hard copy in prescribed format before ERO/ AERO or concerned BLO and online objections and claims could be filled by logging into https://www.nvsp.in portal or by downloading Voter Helpline App (VHA).
The final electoral roll after due disposal of all claims and objections filed within the stipulated time period would be published on November 25, 2022.