Misrepresentation of facts, says J&K admin on electoral roll row

The J&K government’s directorate of information and public relations issued a statement, clarifying that the revision of electoral rolls will cover existing residents of the Union territory.

Srinagar/Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) administration on Saturday dismissed reports of a likely addition of 2.5 million voters after the summary revision of electoral rolls and termed the controversy a “misrepresentation of facts by vested interests”.

The CEO had further said that the projected 18-plus population in the Union territory of J&K is around 9.8 million while the number of enlisted voters stood at 7.6 million. (Representative Image)

The J&K government’s directorate of information and public relations issued a statement, clarifying that the revision of electoral rolls will cover existing residents of the Union territory.

“(The) increase in numbers will be of voters who have attained the age of 18 years as on October 1, 2022, or earlier,” said the statement. “There have been media reports that more than 25 lakh (2.5 million) additions will be there in the electoral rolls…This is a misrepresentation of facts, which is being spread by the vested interests.”

J&K’s chief electoral officer (CEO) Hirdesh Kumar Singh on Wednesday said the Union territory was likely to get around 2.5 million additional voters, including outsiders, following the special summary revision of electoral rolls being held for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370 in November 2019.

“We are expecting massive changes in the voter list given that a large number of youngsters have attained the age of 18 over the past three years,” Singh had told reporters in Jammu on Wednesday. “After Article 370 abrogation, many people who were not enlisted as voters in the erstwhile state are now eligible to vote. Also, anyone who is living ordinarily can avail the opportunity to get enlisted as a voter in J&K under the provisions of The Representation of the People Act.”

The CEO had further said that the projected 18-plus population in the Union territory of J&K is around 9.8 million while the number of enlisted voters stood at 7.6 million.

“We are expecting an addition of 20 to 25 lakh (2 to 2.5 million) new voters in the final list,” he had said.

The CEO’s statement faced political backlash in the Union territory, with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti saying that the move to allow outsiders residing ordinarily in J&K to register as voters was the “last nail in the coffin of electoral democracy”. She alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was trying to “change demography in J&K as it attempts to bring 2.5 million outside votes through backdoor”.

The National Conference claimed that “inclusion of non-locals” was a “clear-cut ploy to disenfranchise the people of J&K”. Party chief and former CM Farooq Abdullah has called an-party meeting to discuss the issue on August 22.

The J&K unit of BJP, however, defended the CEO, saying his remarks are “legally and constitutionally” correct.

Under law any citizen of India can choose to be a voter in any area, state or Union territory, where he or she may ordinarily reside, said Sunil Sethi, chief spokesperson of BJP’s J&K unit. “The same is being made applicable to J&K only. Post abrogation of Article 370, there has to be ‘One India One Law’,” he said. Sethi also accused other parties of trying to project a “wrong picture while still living in pre-August 5, 2019”.

In its clarification, the J&K administration did not comment on the allegations of registration of non-local voters but issued figures saying that the increase of over 1 million was mainly due to those who attained the age of 18 years.

“Number of electors as published in the special summary revision of J&K in 2011 was 66,00,921 (over 6.6 million); and the number of electors as on today in the electoral roll of J&K is 76,02,397 (over 7.6 million). This increase is mainly due to the new voters, who attained the age of 18 years,” the statement said.

It said the summary revision enables young eligible persons to register themselves as voters. “Besides, it also allows a person who has changed his ordinary place of residence to enrol at a new location by getting himself deleted at the old location,” the statement said.

The administration further clarified that there is no change in rules for buying property and getting jobs in J&K and “have no link to the representation of voters or otherwise”.