The country and the State are warming up for parliamentary and legislative assembly elections in March-April 2014. Election Commission of India has vigorously launched the exercise of updating electoral rolls across the country. It is a stupendous task but that is the way of democracy. Election Commission of India has, this time, taken a step to provide opportunity for those Indian citizens who are eligible for voting even after the closing of revised electorate lists. 31 January has been fixed as the last date for revising the electoral rolls. Previously no new entries of eligible voters could be made after the date of closing of revising of electoral rolls. According to the new rules the Election Commission has said that ten days prior to the filing of nomination papers by prospective candidates, any voter eligible under rules can be enlisted and given the right to vote. The condition for eligibility is that he should have completed 18 years of age. This is a very progressive step and deserves to be lauded. The primary objective is that all adults having attained 18 years of age should be given a chance to exercise the right to franchise. Chief Electoral Officer of Jammu and Kashmir confirmed that instructions to this effect had been received by his office and orders were issued that the instructions be implemented. Youth coming within the ambit of revised rules beyond the summary revision on January 31, can enroll themselves as voters by filling Form No. 6 before the Election Returning Officer (ERO) or Assistant ERO even 10 days before the date of filing of nomination papers for the Lok Sabha elections.
As per Director Census, Census report of 2011 showed that Kashmir had total population of 68.88 lakh, Jammu 53.78 lakh and Ladakh 2.74 lakh, The total population of Jammu and Kashmir stood at 1.25 crores as per 2011 census as against 1.01 crores in 2001 census. The population of Kashmir has increased by about 14 lakh, Jammu by about nine lakh and Ladakh by about 37,000.
During summary revision, the Election Commission has registered 3, 55,301 new voters in Jammu and Kashmir, which were highest ever in the past four years. Out of 3.55 lakh new voters registered in the State during summary revision, 1, 48,480 were first time voters aged between 18 to 19 years. The women outnumbered males in new enrollment of voters in the summary revision. As against 1, 72,355 male voters, 1, 82,946 females have been enrolled as new voters. A big chunk of electorate has been empowered by dint of the revised rule promulgated by the Election Commission of India. Very interesting figures are coming out from the Office of State Election Commission. For example, Out of 69, 33,118 electorates in Jammu and Kashmir for Parliament elections after the summary revision, 36, 57,871 were male and 32, 75,241 as females. Prior to summary revision, the State had 67, 69,930 electorates. Nearly 1.9 lakh voters were deleted during the revision, which included dead, bogus and double registered voters.
The figures show that there has been steady rise in population after the Census of 2001 and the population of the entire State stands at 1.25 crores. Naturally the number of electorate will increase and this can have effect on the entire frame of rules and regulations that are in force today for carving electoral constituencies on the basis of population. Growth in population will involve the matter of jurisdiction of electoral constituencies. In other words it means revival of the issue of delimitation of constituencies, which the State Government has disallowed till 2025. Should this question come up, the Government cannot just absolve itself of responsibility of ensuring the voting right of all adults within their electoral constituencies by just taking shelter behind the non-delimitation till the year 2025.
But notwithstanding that, we appreciate the decision of the Election Commission of India to have introduced very important and justifiable rules that allow plus eighteen to vote even if the revision lists are closed. It shows that the philosophy of enfranchisement of people rests on the democratic vision and ethos of our law makers and Government machinery. In the case of our State, there have been many complaints by people that though they are eligible to vote for parliament or the assembly, yet they are not enlisted properly. We hope that as the process has been set in motion, hardly anybody will be left out of the ambit of law that empowers citizens of the state to cast their vote. Our electorate fully understands the value of the vote which the Indian Constitution gives them. We have learnt to respect it and use it judiciously.
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