Published On:Wednesday, 15 October 2014
First step towards elections
Final electoral rolls today
Srinagar: After a brief delay, the Jammu and Kashmir election department will finally publish the electoral rolls of the state on Wednesday.
The Election Commission had ordered summary revision of electoral rolls for Jammu and Kashmir on June 16 and set the deadline of October 1 for publication of final electoral rolls before holding Assembly elections in November-December but in wake of the recent floods it was delayed by 15 days and will be finally declared by October 15 (Wednesday).
According to the top sources, the number of electoral rolls has for the first time in history of the State crossed 7 million. “The number of the voters in Jammu and Kashmir after the summary revision has crossed 7 million for the first time and now stood around 71 lakh,” he said.
The official sources said,” All Deputy Commissioners are ready with final electoral rolls and they will send it to Election commission on October 15. The Election Department will accordingly publish the final rolls on October 15, which were mandatory for holding the Assembly elections,” they said.
Sources said that the Election Department has deleted about 60,000 West Pakistan refugee voters from the electoral rolls used in the Parliamentary elections as they were not entitled to cast votes in the Assembly elections due to denial of state subject rights to them by the State Government.
“About 60,000 to 65,000 West Pakistan refugee voters, who had used their right to franchise in April-May Parliamentary elections in the State, have been deleted from electoral rolls for the Assembly polls as the State Government refused to treat them as permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir,’’ sources said.
However, despite exclusion of West Pakistan refugees from the electoral rolls, number of the total electorates in the State has crossed 7 million and would stand around 71 lakh during the Assembly elections if they are held in November-December.
The publication of final electoral rolls was prime condition for the Election Commission to hold Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
The State had 61.65 lakh electorates during 2002 Assembly elections and the number had swell to 64.61 lakh in 2008 when last Assembly polls were held in Jammu and Kashmir. However, during summary revision in last quarter of 2012 and publication of final rolls on January 1, 2013, number of electorates in Jammu and Kashmir stood at 68.81 lakh.
However, number of the voters had gone up to 69.91 lakh when Parliamentary elections were held in the State in April-May this year. The number of voters after fresh summary revision, the electoral rolls for which are being published on October 15 will be around 71 lakh, sources said.
