CEC calls for adopting different strategies for different segments
*Flag marches, patrolling, queue management among measures
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 5: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has identified a total of 266 Parliamentary constituencies in the country including three from Jammu and Kashmir which witnessed low turnout previously and is taking measures to increase voting percentage there.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar today called for adopting different strategies for different areas and segments saying `one size fits all’ approach may not work for raising voting percentage in the Parliamentary constituencies which saw low turnout.
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In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, three Lok Sabha seats have seen extreme low turnout after militancy broke out in the Valley. They include Srinagar, Baramulla and Anantnag. This time, however, Anantnag-Poonch-Rajouri (APR) Parliamentary seat is expected to witness good turnout as Poonch and Rajouri districts are known for heavy voting.
Official sources told the Excelsior that voter turnout in previous elections was averaged 60-65 percent in Jammu division but it was 25-30 percent in Kashmir.
In Jammu and Kashmir, security is the primary concern for low turnout
The Election Commission has declared Vulnerable Areas and Critical Polling Stations to ensure better turnout and keep the militants, anti-national elements and miscreants at bay in the Kashmir valley.
The Election Commission has already approved 635 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) for Lok Sabha elections in the Union Territory.
Jammu and Kashmir Police and paramilitary forces have been staging flag marches regularly in different areas of the UT as a Confidence Building Measure to ensure that there is no fear among the people on the day of polling. Additional nakas have also been established while patrolling has been intensified in sensitive areas, the sources said.
However, as per the officials, the reasons for low turnout in other States and Union Territories and Jammu and Kashmir are quite different. While Jammu and Udhampur Parliamentary seats in Jammu division always witness good turnout, the problem of low voting percentage is confined to the Kashmir Valley. However, Panchayat, Municipal and District Development Council elections saw huge turnout in the Valley and this time the Election Authorities and the administration are expecting good polling in Kashmir because of improved security scenario.
Moreover, this is the first Parliamentary poll in Jammu and Kashmir post abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution of India that granted special status to the erstwhile State and its bifurcation into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
Addressing the participants, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar asked the officials to prepare a booth-wise action plan for enhanced participation and behaviour change. He asked the participants to draft different strategies for urban and rural areas and plan interventions accordingly for different target audiences.
Discussions were centred on critical issues such as optimising queue management at polling stations and facilitating voting in high-rise buildings.
Urban specific hurdles to increased voter turnout were identified and targeted city-specific interventions were planned. The officers were encouraged to develop tailored, region-specific outreach programs that resonate with the unique needs and demographics of their constituencies.
The Commission recalled that nearly 29.7 crore eligible voters did not vote in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections “underscoring the scale of the problem which calls for proactive measures”.
In Jammu and Kashmir, Udhampur-Doda Parliamentary constituency will go to votes in first phase on April 19 followed by Jammu-Reasi seat which will have polling in second phase on April 26. Anantnag-Poonch-Rajouri (APR) seat will vote in third phase on May 7.
Srinagar Parliamentary seat is scheduled to witness the battle of ballots in fourth phase on May 13 while Baramulla seat will have polling in fifth phase on May 20.
Lone Parliamentary seat in the Union Territory of Ladakh will go to polling in fifth phase along with Baramulla constituency on May 20. Ladakh was part of erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 Parliamentary polls.
In the last Lok Sabha elections, of the 50 seats with the lowest voter turnout, 17 were in Metropolitans or major cities.
Recent elections across various states have highlighted trends of urban apathy towards the electoral process, warranting targeted interventions and collaborative endeavours.
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