Fact File

Jammu and KashmirThe country may be getting ready for electing the 13th Lok Sabha but the electorate in Jammu and Kashmir will exercise t...

Jammu and Kashmir

The country may be getting ready for electing the 13th Lok Sabha but the electorate in Jammu and Kashmir will exercise their franchise for only the eighth time. Unlike other states, where the first Lok Sabha elections were conducted in 1952, Jammu and Kashmir sent its representatives to Parliament for the first time in 1967. The first three Lok Sabhas 1952-57, 1957-62 and 1962-67 had nominated MPs from the state. There was a provisional Parliament from 1950-52 and the first parliamentary elections in the country were held in 1952.

However, with the constitution of the Delimitation Commission for Jammu and Kashmir in 1966, the state got six parliamentary seats. Since then parliamentary elections have been held in the state for the 1967-70, 1971-77, 1977-80, 1980-84, 1984-89, 1996-98 and 1998-99 Lok Sabhas, except in 1991 10th Lok Sabha when the state could not go to polls due to disturbed conditions.

The six notified parliamentary constituencies in the state areJammu-Poonch, Udhampur-Doda, Srinagar, Anantnag, Baramulla and Leh-Ladakh.

Though the number of voters in the two constituencies in the Jammu province 8212; Jammu-Poonch and Udhampur-Doda 8212; has increased two-fold over the years, no new constituency has been created after 1966. The Jammu constituency has over 14 lakh voters while the number of voters in the Udhampur constituency exceeds 10.16 lakh.

Interestingly, the Udhampur constituency has an area of 18,862 sq km, which is larger than that of the entire Kashmir Valley. The constituency is spread over three districts Udhampur, Doda and Kathua. While Kathua touches Punjab, Bhaderwah in Doda district has borders with Himachal Pradesh. And the Banihal area reaches up to the Valley. It is impossible to go from one end of the constituency to the other due to the vast area and hilly terrain.

So, while the electorate elsewhere gets to see its candidates at least at the time of elections, voters in the Udhampur-Doda constituency have no such luck. Many areas inUdhampur and Doda districts being non-motorable, it takes a day or two to trek through difficult terrains to reach remote areas like Dachhan-Marwah, Thakrai, Ukhral, Macheddi etc. Such areas mostly remain uncovered during election campaigns and even later. The people get to see their leaders only during times of extreme distress, like massacres or militant attacks.

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Besides bad roads and poor communication channels, militancy also affects smooth conduct of elections and participation of voters. Director General of Police Gurbachan Jagat had admitted recently that Doda was the most sensitive area in the state for conducting elections. Though militancy has also spread its tentacles to Rajouri and Poonch districts, which are part of the Jammu-Poonch constituency, better roads keep the electorate in touch with their leaders there.

8211;Pawan K Pandita