Those Living In J&K for 1 Year Can Enrol As Voter; Kashmiri Parties Irked, BJP Says Process Made Easy

The Kashmiri mainstream parties have raised a red flag over authorities’ move to register those who have lived in Jammu for only a year to be registered as “new voters” after following ?friendly? procedures. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on the other hand, has welcomed the move, saying the party is glad the process to get the residential proof has been made easy.

Avny Lavasa, district magistrate, Jammu, on Tuesday, issued a circular authorising tehsildars to issue certificates of residence to those living in Jammu for more than one year, paving the way for their entry into the electoral rolls.

Lavasa, who is also the district election officer for Jammu, passed the instructions after she noted some fresh eligible voters were facing hardships in registration as voters for non-availability of required documents.

The revision of the electoral rolls started in Jammu and Kashmir from September 15, soon after the assembly seats were delimited and raised from 83 to 90, six awarded to Jammu and one to Kashmir.

PROCESS EASED

Lavasa?s new directive says all tehsildars are authorised to issue certificates of residence after conducting necessary field verifications, to the person(s) residing in district Jammu for more than one year, for the purpose.

Quoting the guidelines of the Election Commission of India for registration of eligible voters, the order says it also provides that in case none of the mentioned documents ? water/electricity bill, passport, rent deed, etc ? is available, field verification is must.

”As for example, categories like homeless Indian citizens who are otherwise eligible to become electors but do not possess any documentary proof of ordinary residence, electoral registration officers shall designate an officer for field verification…,” the order read.

It said during review meetings taken with the field functionaries including electoral registration officers and assistant electoral registration officers, it has been noticed that some eligible voters are facing hardships in registration as voters for non-availability of documents.

Kashmiri parties unhappy

The People?s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) ? a forum of non-BJP political parties in Kashmir ? has resented the exercise and accused the government of ?gerrymandering with an aim to change the demographic majority of J&K into political minority”.

Led by National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, the PAGD had cast aspersions against the BJP government that they want to rope in outsiders to rig elections as and when held. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had recently indicated that polls for J&K, which is without an assembly for the past four years, would be held after the electoral rolls are updated.

In its meeting at Jammu last week, the PAGD had announced formation of a 14-member committee to fight what it called “manipulation and inclusion” of non-locals in the revised electoral rolls.

The National Conference (NC), quoting the order, tweeted immediately: ?The Government is going ahead with its plan to add 25 lakh non-local voters in J&K and we continue to oppose this move. BJP is scared of the elections & knows it will lose badly. People of J&K must defeat these conspiracies at the ballot box.”

People?s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti tweeted: ?ECI’s latest order for registration of new voters makes it clear that GOIs colonial settler project has been initiated in Jammu. They will bear the first blow to Dogra culture, identity, employment & business. ?

Kashmir based other smaller parties too are expected to join the NC and PDP in their disapproval of the move. They had last time too objected to the inclusion of non-locals as voters when then chief electoral officer Hirdesh Kumar said Jammu and Kashmir is likely to get around 25 lakh additional voters, including outsiders, after the special summary revision of electoral rolls being held for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. Kumar has shifted out of Jammu and Kashmir later. Before that, the J&K government had clarified that he meant to include the new voters who have attained the age of 18 and not all of them were outsiders.

The PAGD had earlier too expressed fears that this is to being done to get 25 lakh non-local voters in JK and launch a demographic assault on the residents of J&K.

An NC leader said the EC officials have literally done away with any formalities of producing proof. Even those having no documents are allowed to register as voters. ?No criteria have been set. It’s literally open for anyone and everyone,? he said.

He said the application issued in Jammu district is to essentially test waters in rest of Jammu and Kashmir. If all goes as per the plan, other districts will issue same application for the vote enrollment exercise.

NC spokesperson Sarah Hayat Khan wrote on Twitter: ?Here it starts. So is this the first move towards adding 25 lakh non-local voters? Beware people of J&K. Should foil these designs and register themselves and cast votes and defeat the conspiracies!?

BJP’S VERSION

Kavinder Gupta, senior leader of BJP and former deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, told News 18 that hit out at the opposition, saying all laws applicable in the rest of the country are now applicable in J&K.

?Some parties who are opposing this move should wake up and realize that Article 370 is done and dusted and the Constitution provides that whoever wants to vote from any area can do so. The Opposition parties had robbed the Western Pakistani refugees, Valmikis and central government employees who have been living here for long of their voting rights,? he said.​

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