Poll roll revision: Row over order on new voters in Jammu and Kashmir

SRINAGAR:  A political row has erupted in Jammu and Kashmir after the District Election Officer 
(DEO) has authorised tehsildars to issue certificates of residence to those living in Jammu for over a year to facilitate their inclusion in the revised electoral rolls. 

The Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls was started in J&K on September 15 for the registration of new voters, and deletion, correction, and transposition of voters who have migrated or died since the last summary revision.

Slamming the move, former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said that the central government’s “colonial settler project” has been initiated in the region. “ECI’s latest order for registration of new voters makes it clear that GOI’s colonial settler project has been initiated in Jammu. They will bear the first blow to Dogra culture, identity, employment & business (sic),” tweeted PDP chief and former CM Mehbooba Mufti.

“BJPs attempts to create religious & regional divisions between Jammu & Kashmir must be thwarted because whether its a Kashmiri or a Dogra,  safeguarding our identity & rights will be possible only if we put up a collective fight (sic),” she added.

Deputy Commissioner Jammu Avny Lavasa, who is also the DEO, had in an order stated, “Keeping in view the urgency involved in the matter and to ensure that no eligible voter is left out for registration during the Special Summary Revision 2021 in district Jammu, all Tehsildars are authorised to issue a certificate of residence to the persons residing in Jammu for over one year”.

CPI-M leader and Gupkar Alliance spokesman Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami termed the order as the “beginning of a wider plan” to give voting rights to non-locals to change electoral demographics.
“All parties and civil society groups must reject this arbitrary inclusion of non-locals. BJP’s designs must be defeated,” he said. The Gupkar Alliance has already formed a 14-member committee including leaders from Jammu to chalk out a joint strategy on the issue of attempts to include non-locals in the voter list.

J&K Congress president Vikar Rasool said this is the BJP’s game plan as the party has lost local support and wants maximum enrollment of outsiders. Former Congress leader and ex-CM Ghulam Nabi Azad also said that non-locals should not be allowed to cast votes in J&K.The BJP has, however, defended the move. J&K’s Chief Electoral Officer Hirdesh Kumar had announced in August that 25 new lakh voters will be added to J&K and that non-locals would be granted voting rights here. After uproar from political parties and civil society groups, Kumar claimed that he had not given any figure.

BJP defends move
The BJP has defended the move. J&K’s Chief Electoral Officer Hirdesh Kumar had announced in August that 25 new lakh voters will be added to J&K and that non-locals would be granted voting rights here. After uproar from political parties and civil society groups, Kumar claimed that he had not given any figure. Meanwhile, Former Congress leader and ex-CM Ghulam Nabi Azad also said that non-locals should not be allowed to cast votes in J&K.

SRINAGAR:  A political row has erupted in Jammu and Kashmir after the District Election Officer  (DEO) has authorised tehsildars to issue certificates of residence to those living in Jammu for over a year to facilitate their inclusion in the revised electoral rolls.  The Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls was started in J&K on September 15 for the registration of new voters, and deletion, correction, and transposition of voters who have migrated or died since the last summary revision. Slamming the move, former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said that the central government’s “colonial settler project” has been initiated in the region. “ECI’s latest order for registration of new voters makes it clear that GOI’s colonial settler project has been initiated in Jammu. They will bear the first blow to Dogra culture, identity, employment & business (sic),” tweeted PDP chief and former CM Mehbooba Mufti. “BJPs attempts to create religious & regional divisions between Jammu & Kashmir must be thwarted because whether its a Kashmiri or a Dogra,  safeguarding our identity & rights will be possible only if we put up a collective fight (sic),” she added. Deputy Commissioner Jammu Avny Lavasa, who is also the DEO, had in an order stated, “Keeping in view the urgency involved in the matter and to ensure that no eligible voter is left out for registration during the Special Summary Revision 2021 in district Jammu, all Tehsildars are authorised to issue a certificate of residence to the persons residing in Jammu for over one year”. CPI-M leader and Gupkar Alliance spokesman Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami termed the order as the “beginning of a wider plan” to give voting rights to non-locals to change electoral demographics. “All parties and civil society groups must reject this arbitrary inclusion of non-locals. BJP’s designs must be defeated,” he said. The Gupkar Alliance has already formed a 14-member committee including leaders from Jammu to chalk out a joint strategy on the issue of attempts to include non-locals in the voter list. J&K Congress president Vikar Rasool said this is the BJP’s game plan as the party has lost local support and wants maximum enrollment of outsiders. Former Congress leader and ex-CM Ghulam Nabi Azad also said that non-locals should not be allowed to cast votes in J&K.The BJP has, however, defended the move. J&K’s Chief Electoral Officer Hirdesh Kumar had announced in August that 25 new lakh voters will be added to J&K and that non-locals would be granted voting rights here. After uproar from political parties and civil society groups, Kumar claimed that he had not given any figure. BJP defends move The BJP has defended the move. J&K’s Chief Electoral Officer Hirdesh Kumar had announced in August that 25 new lakh voters will be added to J&K and that non-locals would be granted voting rights here. After uproar from political parties and civil society groups, Kumar claimed that he had not given any figure. Meanwhile, Former Congress leader and ex-CM Ghulam Nabi Azad also said that non-locals should not be allowed to cast votes in J&K.