Syed Muskan
“With profound regards and venerations, we the residents of the historic town of Achabal (through Achabal Development Committee) put forth the demand of inclusion of Sahibabad (Achabal) in 44-Anantnag constituency instead of 43-Anantnag West owing to the following facts that: 1 Achabal Town (Sahibabad) is intimately connected to Anantnag town having easy access and trade links. 2. Achabal Town (Sahibabad) is having Anantnag as Tehsil headquarters. 3. Anantnag town is an integral part of Achabal C.D Block. 4. Qazigund (43-Anantnag West) is wayward for Achabal having connectivity issues. On the above-mentioned grounds, it is requested that Achabal town may kindly be annexed to 44-Anantnag instead of 43-Anantnag West for the convenience of the public at large. Now, we dare to venture your good self with the hope that these genuine demands will be heeded to and taken to the logical conclusion at your august hands,” the residents of Achabal in south Kashmir’s Anantnag wrote to the Delimitation Commission set up by the Government of India post the abrogation of Article 370 to redraw the electoral boundaries of constituencies in Jammu Kashmir.
Along with this various political parties submitted their reservations to the Delimitation commission report. The commission, however, paid no heed to these reservations and Achabal is now a part of Anantnag West Constituency.
Chittergul and Utersoo area from the erstwhile Shangus assembly segment with no direct road link with Kokernag, have been merged with the Kokernag constituency which has been reserved for Scheduled tribes, as per the final report of the Delimitation commission.
The Commission set up by the Central Government met various representations in Jammu and Srinagar after it published its initial report earlier this year. However, those who submitted their objections to the commission told The Kashmiriyat that “no changes” other than names have been incorporated into the final report.
“We have to travel through two constituencies to reach our constituency offices. No sensible human can make a sense of the commission’s proposal of merging Utersoo, Chaklipora and Chittergul into Kokernag. We have to first travel into the Shangus constituency, then Dooru and then at a distance of more than 50 Kilometres, we will reach Kokernag,” a local resident, who had represented Brari Angan in a representation to the commission told The Kashmiriyat.
In the 17-page report, the commission has excluded the areas of Bahie, Woi Bumdoora, Akingam, Sagam and Nagam on the way to Kokernag from the Kokernag assembly seat and inducted the areas into Dooru.
The commission received an overall 290 objections from various parties during its two sittings, on April 04 in Jammu and in Srinagar on April 05. Though in its report the commission has said that it considered the objections, however, those who had forwarded their reservations to the commission said the commission has made no changes to its initial draft.
“Why did the commission ask us to even submit any reservations, if no changes have been made to the initial proposal. Why did they buy unnecessary time?” the local resident from Brari Angan asked.
The latest event that has heated up the political debate in Jammu Kashmir is the inclusion of non-local voters into the electoral rolls of Jammu Kashmir, as was announced by the Election Commission.
He stated in a press conference in Jammu that the poll rolls are expected to increase as 25 lakh new voters will be added to the list, which will increase the poll by 26 to 33℅ over the last 3 years.
During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections the electorate in the the erstwhile state was 78.4 lakh which excluding Ladakh would have been 76.7 lakh. From 2014 to 2019, the electorate increased by 6.5 lakh. The number, however, as per the election commission since the past three years is expected to rise by 20-25 lakh new voters.
The erstwhile state of Jammu Kashmir has been without any elected government since June 2018, when the BJP ended alliance with the Mehbooba Mufti lead PDP. Since then, the region has witnessed political turmoil including the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35-A, which provided the region limited autonomy, and its conversion into a Union Territory after disintegration with Ladakh region.
In May this year, the Delimitation Commission after an extension of two months presented a delimitation report which increased the number of seats from 83 to 90 in the Union Territory. Kashmir now has 47 seats and Jammu 43.
Following the same, the Election Commission of India on 8 August announced that it had rescheduled the date of publication of the electoral rolls to November 25. However, on 17 August 2022, the Chief Electoral Officer of Jammu Kashmir, Hridesh Kumar Singh said that 20-25 lakh new voters are expected to be added to the voting list.
He said that not only the people who have attained the age of 18 will be added but also the students, labourers and employees and anyone from outside who is ordinarily residing in the region.
He also said that non-locals did not need a domicile certificate to become a voter.
“Non-Locals residing in Jammu Kashmir for work purpose, labour or studying in Jammu Kashmir can also vote. They can also register as voters online,” Hardesh Kumar Singh said.
The Election Commissioner also said 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.
This is for the first time after the abrogation of the special status of the region that delimitation of the assembly seats has been done.
The Political Verbatim
The move providing the non-locals the right to vote has led to huge political uproar in the region. Many political parties like the Peoples Democratic Party, National Conference and People’s Conference have expressed their dissatisfaction with the decision.
Political fronts have expressed disappointment with the decision in the form of tweets and registered peaceful protests too.
The former Chief Minister of Jammu Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti in a tweet said the decision was supposed to influence the election results.
“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,” she wrote on Twitter.
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. https://t.co/zHzqaMseG6
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) August 17, 2022
Meanwhile, Omar Abdullah, the vice president of Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) tweeted,
“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”
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. https://t.co/ZayxjHiaQy
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) August 17, 2022
In addition to PDP and JKNC, Sajad Lone of the People’s Conference also joined the debate. In his tweet, he referred it to as a dangerous move.
“This is dangerous. I don’t know what they want to achieve. This is much more than a mischief. Democracy is a relic especially in the context of Kashmir. Please remember 1987. We are yet to come out of that. Don’t replay 1987. It will be as disastrous,” Lone tweeted.
This is dangerous. I don’t know what they want to achieve. This is much more than a mischief. Democracy is a relic especially in the context of Kashmir. Please remember 1987. We r yet to come out of that.
Don’t replay 1987. It will be as disastrous. https://t.co/STU1U7hAgi— Sajad Lone (@sajadlone) August 17, 2022
Amid the raging controversy over revision of voters in Jammu Kashmir, the administration of J&K, on Saturday, said the exercise will cover existing residents of the Union Territory and the increase in numbers will be of that of the voters who have attained the age of 18 years.
The Department of Information and Public Relations, J&K, said media reports that more than 25 lakh voters will be added during the special summary revision of voters was a “misrepresentation of facts.”
“There have been media reports that more than 25 lakh additions will be there in the electoral rolls once the process of electoral roll revision starts. This is a misrepresentation of facts, which is being spread by the vested interests,” reads the advertisement published in local dailies by the DIPR.
In a bid to allay apprehensions of the public, the administration said 10 lakh new voters have been added in Jammu & Kashmir since 2011, mainly due to the new voters who have attained 18 years of age.
“The number of electors in the Special Summary Revision of Jammu and Kashmir state in 2011 was 66,00,921 and the number in the electoral roll of the Union Territory now is 76,02,397.This increase is due to the new voters, who attained the age of 18,” the advertisement reads.
The administration said that the exercise of special summary revision of voters was being undertaken to enable youngsters who become eligible to vote to enroll themselves as electors.
“Besides, it allows a person who has changed his ordinary place of residence to enroll at a new location by getting himself deleted at the old location,” said the administration.
However, the statement given by the Chief Election Officer mentioned that anyone including the students and labourers ordinarily residing in the region can vote. The only condition he stated was that the voter registration in the place of birth had to be cancelled.
Earlier, the Delimitation reports also sparked huge controversy in the region as the constituency boundaries which were redrawn had been frozen up to 2026 in India. The Delimitation Commission also drew flak sincein India, delimitation is carried out on the basis of census but the commission said that in case of J&K, other factors like size, remoteness and closeness to borders will also be taken into consideration.
According to the Delimitation Report, 44% of the population living in Jammu will vote for 48% of the seats and 56% of the population living in Kashmir will vote for 52% of the seats.