Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Mar 31: Migrant voters turn out can hold key in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections of Kashmir valley going to polls in the month of April and May in the event of the boycott call given by the separatists and terrorist outfits this time again, provided that conducive conditions are created by Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure good turnout of migrant votes.
As there are about 99,000 migrant votes in the three Lok Sabha constituencies of Kashmir, including Anantnag , Srinagar and Baramulla, though scattered and fragmented in different parts of the country, the displaced voters from the Valley are still undecided on exercising their right to franchise under the prevailing circumstances for three Lok Sabha seats of Kashmir given the cumbersome voting procedure adopted by the Election Commission of India for them.
The migrants putting up in different parts of Jammu and other places of country said that they are ready to vote as it is a democratic right and first step for the empowerment of the citizens of the country, but under the prevailing circumstances when the community is scattered all over the country as well as abroad and when no steps were taken to change the present cumbersome procedure to a simple one is forcing the majority of migrants to stay away from election process with the result the voting percentage remained very low as has been observed in past elections.
There is however, a hope among some sections of Displaced Pandits that with the introduction of the new pattern of online submissions of Form M and Form 12 -C ,the process will become a bit easier this time. But one lacuna is still in the process to get the form verified by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of the area where the migrants are putting up outside Jammu.
“It is also a cumbersome problem as we have to approach the ERO whose office will not be at a stone’s throw from our residence and being preoccupied with election process of his own area, the ERO too could not devote his time to us in authenticating our M Forms and Form 12 -C ”, apprehend a group of displaced people putting up in the Union Capital.
Instead of making authentication of Forms by concerned EROs, the migrants should have been given liberty of submission of forms to AROs of migrants at Jammu, Delhi or Udhampur without getting them verified by the concerned EROs of the respective areas where they are putting up outside the J&K. They should have been asked to attach the copies EPIC and Aadhaar cards with them as proof, the migrants said.
This could have made the process a bit easier and also motivated the displaced people in sending their M Forms and Form 12 -C through online to concerned Department for casting their vote. They said though the issue was taken up before the Government and Election authorities’ number of times but they failed to solve it.
Out of the 99,0143 migrant voters registered with Election Department of the State on date, the major chunk of migrant voters’ are in Srinagar and Anantnag Parliamentary constituencies. While 39,343 voters have been registered from Srinagar-Ganderbal and Budgam Parliamentary constituency 38,564 migrant voters are in Anantnag -Pulwama Lok Sabha constituency. The Baramulla-Kupwara Lok Sabha constituency has lowest number of 21,136 voters.
To ensure the hassle free and smooth voting for displaced people from Valley during these elections for the first time the Election Commission has introduced the online submission of Form -M and Form-12 C for migrant voters to ensure their maximum participation in the democratic process in the State. But majority of displaced people feel that measures are not sufficient to make the process for casting the vote by migrants easier.
The migrants have many complaints regarding the cumbersome procedure of voting adopted by ECI for them since 1996 when first Assembly election was held in the State after the militancy gripped it in 1989-90.
Now the time will only tell whether this step may ensure increase in voting percentage of migrants which was very less in earlier Assembly and Lok Sabha elections held since 1996. Moreover, to ensure increasing participation of Kashmiri migrants in elections, the Relief organization has also started distribution of M Forms on war footing basis and the Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner, M L Raina has issued directives to zonal officers and camp commandants to handover M Forms to migrants in their respective quarters at TRTs of Buta Nagar, Muthi, Purkhoo, Nagrota and Jagti to ensure that every bonafide voter among migrants fills up the M Form to reach the concerned Returning Officers well in time.
The RRC has warned the officials that no laxity will be allowed in this regard and has urged the staff to ensure maximum registration of M Forms.
Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency comprising of 15 Assembly segments and three Central Kashmir districts of Srinagar, Ganderbal and Budgam will go to polls on April 18. The Constituency has a total 14 lakh registered voters while Anantnag Parliamentary Constituency in South Kashmir having 16 Assembly segments comprising of four districts of Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama has a total number of over 13 lakh voters. This Constituency will go to polls in three phases. While Anantnag district will go to polls on April 23, in Kulgam district the voting will be held on April 29 and the trouble -torn districts of Shopian and Pulwama will go to polls on May 6.
The Baramulla Parliamentary constituency of North Kashmir having three districts including Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora has a total number of over 13 lakh voters and 15 Assembly segments. It will go to polls in first phase on April 11.
The leaders of various political parties and social organizations have intensified their campaign asking migrants to participate in election process by filling up their M Forms as per schedule.
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