Out of over 21,000, only 2491 cast votes
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Apr 11: Like earlier elections, the Kashmiri migrants turn out in the Lok Sabha elections for Baramulla Parliamentary Constituency which went to polls in first phase of polling today was low and negligible, courtesy the Government’s failure to change the cumbersome voting procedure adopted by it for the displaced people from Valley.
Out of 21,136 registered migrant voters in Baramulla Constituency, 4593 migrants had filled up their M Forms giving option to poll their votes in 18 Special Polling Stations at Jammu, one in Udhampur and two in Delhi. But as per official reports, only 2491 voters turned up to poll their votes in 18 Special Polling Stations established for them by Election Commission of India at Jammu, one at Udhampur and two at Delhi which is near 54.2 percent turnout.
It may be recalled that the ECI had established 26 Special Polling Stations for migrants outside the Valley to cast their vote. Out of it 21 polling stations were established in Jammu, one in Udhampur and four in Delhi.
However, cumbersome process of filling up of M Forms has been one of the main problem for less turnout of migrants voting in elections every time and despite their request to the concerned authorities since 1996 when the first election was held in the State after the turmoil griped Kashmir in 1989-90, the successive Governments failed to concede the demand.
Though this time, the ECI had announced a new scheme for migrant voters to vote in person at transitory camps or by postal ballot, it too failed to motivate the Kashmiri migrants to respond to the same and ensure their good participation in the voting.
According to ARO Migrants, Jammu, Pankaj Anand out of 4,593 migrants who had filled up M -Forms 2,491 turned up to cast their vote in 18 special polling booths established for them in Jammu today. He said the ECI had established 21 special polling booths for migrants in Jammu out of them migrants from Baramulla Constituency opted for 18 polling booths to vote while no migrant opted for rest of three polling booths including one polling booth at Sarwal Jammu, one at Jagti Community Hall and another at Miran Sahib, Jammu.
Thirty two migrants cast their vote at a special polling booth established for them in Udhampur today, said Anirudh Rai, Collector Railways, Udhampur and ARO Migrants for the district. He said 58 M -Forms of migrants for Baramulla -1 Parliamentary Constituency were received and out of them only 32 turned up to cast their vote today.
Among them was 85 year old Janki Nath Nehru, son of Amarchand a migrant form Baramulla Constituency and putting up at Udhampur at present.
Likewise at Delhi 9 migrants had filled up their M -Forms to cast their vote in Delhi and out of them eight turned up for voting today at two special polling booths established in Union Capital. This was stated by ARO Migrants, Delhi, Digvijay Gupta. He said ECI had established four special polling booths in Delhi.
However for Baramulla Lok Sabha Constituency nine migrants had filled up their M Forms opting to cast their votes on two polling booths while no migrant opted for other two polling boots.
No rush was visible in front of migrant polling booths in Jammu during the day and also no queues of voters were seen anywhere and polling passed smoothly throughout the day. However, migrants at various polling stations in Jammu and Jagti said that despite filling up the M-Forms well in time their names were missing in the voter lists.
At Jagti migrant camp large number of migrant voters made a complaint regarding non inclusion of their names in voter lists despite filling up of the M -Forms over a fortnight back for Baramulla Constituency.
Kashyap Tickoo of Sopore, Baramulla, Sonu of Khoja Bagh, Baramulla, Ved Lal Pandita of Chanam Baramulla, Shiban Ji Pandita of Sopore, Baramulla and Prem Nath Bhat of Kupwara who had visited their respective polling boots at Jagti were disgusted to see that their names were missing in voter lists despite filling up of M Forms well in time.
They said that they have registered their complaints before concerned authorities also. The leaders of various political parties including NC Minority Cell president, M K Yogi, Congress Migrant Cell president, H L Pandita and ex Sarpanch, Nana Ji Raina also expressed their anguish over the non inclusion of names of migrants in voter lists who have filled up their forms to cast the votes in Baramulla Parliamentary Constituency. They urged the authorities to ensure that the same practice is not repeated in Srinagar and Anantnag Lok Sabha constituencies going to polls in other phases.
The non inclusion of names of voters in the list was also raised by Kashmiri migrants who had come to cast their vote at Special Polling Station at Directorate of School Education, Muthi. Ramesh Pandita, a migrant said that names of 150 migrant voters who had opted to cast their votes at this polling booth are missing as they were not entertained by the concerned authorities which has generated a resentment among the displaced people from Valley.
However the ARO Migrants, Pankaj Anand refuted these charges saying that every M Form which reached his office in time were entertained. He said only one or two forms would have been rejected by his office which lacked the correct information on part of voters.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
