Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 29: Girdhari Lal Raina, former MLC and spokesperson of the BJP JK-UT has expressed concern over delay in dispatching the postal ballots to the electors belonging to the displaced community from Kashmir for the forthcoming election to the Legislative Assembly of Jammu Kashmir.
In a communication to CEO J&K Pandurang K Pole, Raina raised this issue. He further added that besides delay in dispatching of postal ballots to the eligible electors from Kashmir the incomplete/insufficient address written on the envelope in which the voter has to send back his vote, as was experienced during recently held Lok Sabha election 2024, needs to be rectified in advance to avoid rejection of such envelopes by the Department of Postal services. Postal Service Department also needs to be alerted in time to help them put required mechanisms in place so that these postal ballots reach their destination in time, ex-MLC stressed.
GL Raina also raised the issues confronted by the voters of the minority community in Kashmir who stayed back in the Valley in 1989-90 or and didn’t leave even thereafter. These voters were denied their Fundamental Right to vote during the Lok Sabha election 2024 as the marked voter list with presiding officers and polling staff had been stamped Voting at Special Polling Stations (VSPS) against their names.
Their names exist on electoral rolls of their respective polling booths including the marked voter list but due to VSPS stamp they were asked to vote at special polling booths created for the displaced community in Jammu, Udhampur and NCR Delhi, BJP Prabhari of Kashmir Displaced District explained. Visualize the situation and embarrassment a voter in Kashmir Valley faced when asked at last moment to go to Jammu Udhampur or Delhi particularly when they never asked for such a stamp.
He feared that this act identified and labelled these vulnerable electors and exposed their life to risk. He urged CEO to alert official machinery in time to avoid repetition of the unhealthy experience of recently held Parliamentary election and address these issues with the seriousness it deserves.
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