Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Apr 27: It may sound incredible but is a fact that there is no migrant voter in Ganderbal district which is the part of Srinagar-Budgam Lok Sabha constituency that is going to polls on April 30.
As per the data available with Election authorities, out of three districts of Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, Ganderbal district comprising of two Assembly segments of Kangan and Ganderal does not have even a single migrant voter while 14 villages of the two Assembly segments were inhabited by the Kashmiri Pandits, who migrated to Jammu and other parts of country after mass exodus of Pandits in 1989-90.
The official figures revealed that the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency has a total number of 30,054 migrant electors. Out of which Srinagar district has highest number of 27,015 migrant votes while the Budgam has 3039. However the Ganderbal district has no migrant electors as per the data.
In Srinagar district Habba Kadal Assembly segment which had a sizable number of KP population prior to the mass exodus of Pandits from the Valley has highest number of 14,892 migrant votes followed by 4,107 by Amerakadal Assembly segment in the same district. Hazratbal Assembly constituency, which also falls in Srinagar district has 2147 migrant votes, while Khanyar has 1219 migrant votes , Sonawar 1058, Batamaloo, 2746 Eidgah 581 and Zadibal 265.
Out of 3039 migrant votes in Budgam district comprising of five Assembly segments Chadoora has 507 migrant votes, Budgam 858, Beerwah 451, Khan Saheb 448 and Charar-e-Sharief 775. Surprisingly the two Assembly segments of Ganderbal and Kangan in Ganderbal district have no migrant vote.
Expressing surprise over the official data, Prem Nath Raina, a social activist from Manigam said it is astonishing that Ganderbal district has no migrant vote while there are about 14 villages inhabited by Kashmiri Pandits and 90 percent of them have migrated to Jammu.
He said this shows total callousness of authorities towards migrant voters who this way have been totally deprived by the authorities from exercising their right to vote.
The KP villages in Ganderbal district included Tulmulla, Ludhwan, Serach, Nunar, Chapergund, Satran Sumbal, Waskura, Wakura, Borus, Wandhama, Lar, Wussan etc.
The majority of migrants are missing in voter lists, said H L Chatta and same has been done deliberately by the authorities at the helm of affairs.
Chatta who had contested the elections from Habba Kadal constituency twice on BJP ticket while substantiating his point said that Habba Kadal had 27,000 Pandit voters earlier which have been now reduced by the authorities to 14,892. This number should increase by three to four thousand after the voters age was reduced to 18 years but the number has decreased by over 12,000 votes, he added.
Even the migrants voter list of Budgam constituency is not also based on facts as out of over 10,000 Pandit voters in the district only 3039 figure in the list, said P L Koul Badgami, convener Kashmiri Hindu Conference.
He said hundreds of KP families had settled in Chanpora, Natipora, Bagat Barzullah, Gopal Pora and Sanat Nagar which form the part of Budgam district and the number of voters in this area was over 10,000.
He said even in Charar-e-Sharief constituency there were many villages inhabited by Kashmiri Pandits.
Budgami alleged that it was a deliberate attempt on the part of Government to delete the migrant voters from the voter lists. Terming it a serious issue, he said the Election Commission of India should take a notice of the same and ensure the inclusion of all migrant voters in voter lists.
He also alleged that the M Forms filled by thousands of migrants to cast their vote in Lok Sabha elections were thrown in the dustbin by the concerned officials due to which the majority of names of the migrant voters are missing in voter lists.
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