Jammu and Kashmir voter list controversy: Know why opposition parties are against electoral roll revision

The new electoral revisions in Jammu and Kashmir have sparked a row in the union territory, leading to all the opposition parties banding together and slamming the Centre for this move. Now, an all-party meet is being conducted in J&K regarding the same issue.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference party chief Farooq Abdullah has called an all-party meeting over their dissatisfaction with the clarification issued by the Jammu and Kashmir administration on issues related to revised electoral rolls.

Parties like the NC and PDP claimed the administration has not addressed their main concern on whether "outsiders" ordinarily residing in J-K will be allowed to enroll as voters.

“So the meeting will discuss everything threadbare. Even the clarification will be discussed. It is an all-party meeting and every party will present their point of view,” PDP chief spokesperson Suhail Bukhari said, as per PTI reports.

The political row in Jammu and Kashmir was sparked after a new revision in the electoral rolls led to the “inclusion of non-locals” in the voter list in the union territory, which led to an additional 25 lakh voters being included in the list.

The government on Saturday issued a clarification, saying the reports of a likely addition of over 25 lakh voters after the summary revision of electoral rolls is a "misrepresentation of facts by vested interests".

According to the clarification given by the government, the Kashmiri migrants "will continue to be given the option of voting at their place of enrolment or through postal ballot or through specially set up polling stations at Jammu, Udhampur, Delhi, etc.”

Slamming the move on Twitter, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti wrote, “The ‘Clarification' issued by DIPR is a silent endorsement of the statement given by the Chief Election Officer. Doesn't address our apprehensions about non-locals en masse being given the power to vote. Yet another design to dispossess people of J&K.”

Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have been speaking out against the latest revisions in the electoral rolls, saying that the inclusion of non-locals in the voter list “was a clear-cut ploy to disenfranchise the people of Jammu and Kashmir".

This revision comes as Jammu and Kashmir is expected to have an election in 2023, with the union territory remaining without a government for over four years.

(With PTI inputs)

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