Srinagar, Aug 20: Amid an uproar over non-local voters casting votes in Jammu and Kashmir electoral rolls, the administration on Saturday clarified that no change has been made in the special provisions for Kashmiri migrants for their enrollment in the electoral rolls of their original native constituencies.

 

 

The administration also said that there was no change in the rules regarding buying property and jobs in the J&K govt and no link to the representation of voters or otherwise. Denying reports that over 25 lakh additions will be made to the electoral rolls once the revision process starts, the Directorate of Information and Public Relations of the J&K government said that the Election Commission conducts summary revisions of electoral rolls from time to time as per the established process.

 

 

The aim is to enable young persons to become eligible to register themselves as voters and allows persons who have changed their ordinary place of residence to enrol at new locations by getting themselves deleted at the old locations. So, the increase in voted will be of voters who have attained the age of 18 years as of October 1, 2022, or earlier.

 

In a notice issued, it stated, "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."

 

 

It also clarified saying, "There is no change in the special provisions for Kashmiri migrants for their enrolment in the electoral rolls of their original native constituencies. They will continue to be given option of voting at their place of enrolment or through postal ballot or through for specially setup polling stations at Jammu, Udhampur, Delhi, etc."

 

"It is further clarified that there is no change in rules regarding buying of property and jobs in the Government of UT of J&K and have no link to representation of voters or otherwise," it added.

 

Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir's Chief Electoral Officer Hirdesh Kumar had announced that after the special summary revision of electoral rolls being held for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370, the Union Territory was likely to get around 25 lakh additional voters, including outsiders.

 

 

This sparked a massive controversy with Kashmiri parties terming it as a 'shameful, illegal and unconstitutional attempt at disenfranchising the people'. They also stated that there was no such law that gave voting rights to non-state subjects in the Union territory, and the domicile law was about jobs and elections.