The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Saturday refuted media claims that Jammu and Kashmir will be getting around 25 lakh additional voters including outsiders or non-locals after the special summary revision of electoral rolls being held for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370.
Slamming ‘vested interests’ for misrepresenting facts, the order issued by the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) on Saturday, August 20, cleared that the electoral rolls will cover only existing residents of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and that the increase in voter numbers will be limited to Jammu and Kashmir youths who have reached the age of 18 as of 1st October 2022 or earlier.
🗳 @diprjk 𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒆𝒔 𝑪𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒏 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑱&𝑲 𝑬𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝑹𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒔
— Information & PR, Kathua (@DiprKathua) August 20, 2022
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“This is a misrepresentation of facts, which is being spread by the vested interests. This revision of electoral rolls will cover existing residents of the UT of J&K and increase in numbers will be of the voters who have attained the age of 18 years as on 1.10.2022 or earlier,” the order read.
It further clarified that no change has been made in the special provisions for Kashmiri migrants for their enrolment in the electoral rolls of their original native constituencies.
The order added that the Kashmiri migrants will continue to be given the option of voting at their place of enrolment or through postal ballot or through specially-setup polling stations at Jammu, Udhampur, Delhi, etc.
It further clarified that there is no change in rules regarding buying of property and jobs in the government of Union territory of J&K and have no link to the representation of voters or otherwise.
The order stated that summary revision of electoral rolls are undertaken by Election Commission from time to time according to the laid down process. “This is to enable young persons who become eligible to register themselves as voters. Besides, it also allows a person who has changed his ordinary place of residence to enrol at new location by getting himself deleted at the old location,” it read.
It further said that the number of electors as published in special summary revision of J&K in 2011 was 66,00,921 and it has now increased to 76,02,397. “This increase is mainly due to the new voters, who attained the age of 18 years.”
Basically, the clarification was issued by the Jammu and Kashmir administration after several media houses like NDTV, Deccan Herald and a few others claimed that the BJP government is trying to tip the scales in its favour by enrolling around 25 lakh additional voters including outsiders in the Union Territory as the special summary revision of electoral rolls is being held for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has, however, cleared the air confirming that no outsiders are being included, in fact, only those “ordinarily” residing in J&K and having achieved the age of 18 years or above as of October 1 are to be included in the electoral rolls. “This is to enable young persons who become eligible to register themselves as voters. Besides, it also allows a person who has changed his ordinary place of residence to enrol at the new location by getting himself deleted at the old location,” the order read.
