Postal ballots for migrants in midst of controversy

Syed Ali Safvi

JAMMU, Nov 26: In the run-up to the third phase of elections in Jammu and Kashmir, political parties have intensified their election campaign and are resorting to all sorts of gimmicks to outdo each other. After successfully wooing voters in the valley, they have now turned their eyes on the Kashmiri migrant votes,largely scattered across Jammu region.

Their task is being equally facilitated allegedly by the state election machinery. Chief Election Commission has reportedly issued over a thousand postal ballots for the third phase of elections allegedly at the residences of workers of the political parties.

According to sources, about 1500 postal ballots have been issued for about 2200 migrant voters of Handwara assembly segment, which goes to polls in the third phase of elections on November 30.

Some contestants from Handwara allege that this may enable certain parties to cast bogus votes as postal ballots issued in the previous assembly elections were issued on addresses of party workers of National Conference.

In 2002, the Chief Election Commission had cancelled around 700 posting ballots after reports that most of them were issued in the names of migrant voters with addresses at the residences of National Conference (NC) workers.

The postal ballots are said to have been issued even though five polling booths have been set for the migrant voters in Jammu, and one each in Nagrota, Udhampur and Delhi for a total of 2200 voters.

When contacted, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer, however, refuted the allegations."I have not received any complaint regarding this," he told Kashmir Times. "If any one has grievances should approach our office, we will redress the complaint."

Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO), Rashpal Singh, said that no postal ballots have been arranged for Kupwara constituency.

"We have so far issued only three postal ballots for Langate constituency for the third phase of elections and no postal ballot has been issued for Kupwara constituency," Singh told Kashmir Times. "Two applications were rejected because they did not have proper grounds."

Singh said that the postal ballots were issued in front of the election observers "after proper scrutiny".

Four assembly segments of militancy-affected Kupwara district have a total number of 7648 migrant votes. Kupwara has 2731, followed by Handwara (2528), Langate (1338) and Lolab (1051). Karnah assembly segment does not have any migrant vote.

The postal ballot scheme was initially introduced in the state of Jammu and Kashmir during May 1996 Lok Sabha elections to enable displaced Pandits of the Kashmir valley to exercise their franchise through postal ballot papers, in their respective constituencies in the conflict-ridden Kashmir region from their present residences.

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