People Living In Jammu For Over 1 Yr Can Register As Voters

Srinagar | Updated: 12 October, 2022 10:42 am IST
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People living in Jammu for more than one year are eligible to register themselves as a voter to cast their votes in the next Assembly elections, as per an order issued by the Jammu administration.

In its order, the district election officer of Jammu on Tuesday directed all Tehsildars (revenue officers) to issue certificates of residence to such persons in order to facilitate their entry in the ongoing special summary revision of electoral rolls.

District election officer Avny Lavasa, who is also the deputy commissioner, passed the directive after taking note of instances of some eligible voters facing hardships in registration as voters due to the non-availability of required documents.

In her order, the officer said that residents can register themselves as a voter by providing any of these documents: water/electricity/gas connection bill for one year, Aadhar card, current passbook of nationalised/scheduled bank/post office, Indian passport, revenue department’s land-owning record including Kisan Bahi, registered rent/lease deed for tenants, registered sale deed in case the person owns the house.

The special summary revision of electoral rolls started in the Union territory on September 15, 2022, for the registration of new voters, deletion, correction, and transposition of voters who have migrated or died since the last summary revision.

“Keeping in view the urgency involved in the matter and to ensure that no eligible voter is left for registration during the special summary revision, 2022 in district Jammu, 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,” Lavasa said in her order.

Quoting the guidelines by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for registration of eligible voters, Lavasa said tehsildars must conduct a field verification in case none of the required documents is available with the candidate.

“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 reads.

Various J&K-based political parties have expressed concern over the inclusion of what they call “non-locals” as voters.

Reacting to the order, the National Conference launched an attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government, accusing it of planning to add 25 lakh non-local voters in Jammu and Kashmir.

“We continue to oppose this move. BJP is scared of the elections and knows it will lose badly. People of J&K must defeat these conspiracies at the ballot box,” the party, led by former chief minister Farooq Abdullah, tweeted.

In August, the 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.

Following an outcry, the J&K administration later clarified, “The revision of electoral rolls will cover existing residents of the Union territory and the increase in numbers will be of the voters who have attained the age of 18 years as of October 1, 2022, or earlier”.

People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), headed by Abdullah, on Saturday announced the formation of a 14-member committee to chalk out a strategy on what it called any attempt of “manipulation and inclusion” of non-locals in the electoral rolls.

Recently, Union home minister Amit Shah told a gathering in Baramullah town of north Kashmir that the elections in J&K will be held as soon as all formalities are completed.

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