Electoral Roll Revision: J&K parties raise concerns, fears; to meet on Monday

Members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) held a protest in Srinagar on Friday.

“We have been saying all along that the BJP’s prime focus has been changing the demographic in Kashmir. The most obvious way this manifests is changing the electoral demographic. They could bring 10 lakh people to the Valley in trains, given the machinery that is at their disposal. It is not a big thing when they control everything,” PDP chief spokesperson Suhail Bukhari told The Indian Express. Accusing the BJP of “tactical rigging”, he added that this was an extension of the “illegitimate” delimitation process.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti had urged the National Conference president and Srinagar MP, Farooq Abdullah, to convene an all-party meeting to discuss the future course of action in this regard, and had said that political parties in J&K should come together “since this beyond electoral politics and we have to look towards resolution of the Kashmir issue”.

Farooq Abdullah is also president of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, which was formed by Kashmir’s mainstream parties in 2020 to seek restoration of J&K’s statehood and special status under Article 370 and Article 35A, which were abrogated by the Centre in August 2019.

The all-party meeting is scheduled to take place at Abdullah’s residence on Monday. He has extended invitations to Mufti, J&K Congress unit president Vikar Rasool, its working president Raman Bhalla, CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, J&K Apni Party president Syed Altaf Bukhari, People’s Conference chairman Sajad Lone, and Aam Admi Party leaders, asking them to attend the meeting “to formulate a common position on this issue of non-local voters”.

Lone on Friday appealed to the Centre to allay the fears of the people of J&K. Referring to the Chief Electoral Officer’s statements on allowing “non-locals” to vote in the J&K Assembly elections, the People’s Conference chairman said that this created “new apprehensions amongst the people of J&K” and that “the Government of India must come out with the unvarnished truth to allay their fears”.

Comments from the Election Commission have “heightened the fears of demographic intervention and demographic change. We know the set of laws that prevail across the country, but what matters here is not the application of the law but the intentions of those implementing the law”, Lone said.
He expressed hope that instead of “cheerleading newly baked scares” on a daily basis, the government “recognises its failings and makes amends for the errors made in the past three years”.

The National Conference has also raised concerns.

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“What holds them (the BJP) back from bringing their political workers to J&K to vote in Assembly elections. Additionally, forces in the J&K operate under AFSPA, (so) it is also imperative for the government to clarify if there are any peace stations in J&K and whether that makes such personnel eligible to vote in an election held here,” National Conference chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq told The Indian Express.

He also said that J&K has smaller population density than other states, and as such, allowing outsiders and security forces to register as service voters could impact the people’s verdict disproportionately. The measure, Sadiq said, showed the ruling party’s deep seated insecurity about support from voters in J&K.
J&K Apni Party president Syed Altaf Bukhari also urged the Centre to “come clear” on the announcement by the Chief Electoral Officer.

“People are apprehensive that this move may be aimed at disempowering them further and tinkering with J&K’s demography. Thus, I appeal to the Prime Minister to make himself available to remove the confusion about the issue and eradicate fears of the people,” he said, adding, “We will wait till Sunday, as we hope that the government of India will come up with a plausible explanation on this matter soon.”

On Thursday, sources in the J&K administration had told The Indian Express, that additional voters would include at least 22 lakh first-time voters.