As parties protest, Jammu election officer withdraws voter registration order

Though no official reason has been given for the order’s withdrawal late on Wednesday, it seems to have been done following widespread opposition from political parties barring the BJP Wednesday. The Indian Express had carried the detailed story quoting Lavasa’s order in its October 12 edition.

When contacted, BJP J&K unit president Ravinder Raina said though Lavasa has withdrawn her order, the Constitution of India is there and as per its provisions, no one can stop anybody from getting registered as a voter at a particular place.

Pointing out that the law of the land is supreme, Raina said as per provisions of the Representation of People’s Act, 1951, anyone who is long residing at a place is entitled to shift their vote to the place of stay from their place of birth. There is nothing wrong and even the Constitution gives one the right to get enrolled as a voter at the place of his choice, the BJP leader said.

Referring to difficulties being faced by eligible voters in getting registered as voters in the absence of documents prescribed by the Election Commission, Lavasa had Tuesday authorised all the tehsildars to “issue certificate of residence after conducting necessary field verifications, to the person(s) residing in district Jammu for more than one year, for the purpose”.

However, political parties barring BJP opposed the Jammu Deputy Commissioner’s order, with the National Conference calling the BJP “insecure” for extending voting rights to non-local residents. It also criticised the government for going ahead with its plan to add 25 lakh non-local voters in J&K.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said the order will include a deluge of people which will harm not just the Dogra culture but also the business, jobs, and resources in the region.

J&K Congress president Vikar Rasool Wani called the order the BJP’s game plan to dilute the power of local voters as it was feeling the pulse of local residents in view of widespread resentment among them amid wrong policy decisions, unprecedented price hike, record unemployment of about 33 per cent, and so on.