‘KP’s allege non-cooperation in filling Form-M’
By News Agency of Kashmir,
Jammu : While authorities managing the elections affairs in the Jammu and Kashmir remains silent over the issue of flexible the rules of voting for the Kashmiri Pandit migrants in the shape of “Form-M”, its negative impact have started showing the consequences with lesser number of migrants turning up for the registration of their votes.
The effect of this controversial order could be seen through the official figures which reveal that only “68 migrants” filled the Form-M for the Bandipora constituency against thousands of KP migrants from the said constituency living n the Jammu and drawing relief with valid Ration cards.
The “Form M” formality is not the lone reason behind the KP’s lukewarm response to the registration process for voting, the other things including the large scale discrepancies in the voter lists and irresponsible system at their disposal has also overshadowed the entire exercise.
As reported earlier by the NAK that Election Commission through a notification have set up a condition of obtaining “M form” mandatory for all the migrant voters of Kashmir living elsewhere in the country, if they want to exercise their franchise in the state’s assembly polls.
“The entire process of completing formalities for the migrants is so vexed that not to talk about the common KP voter even the contesting candidates are not getting the M forms and the voter lists” alleged Shiban Jee a KP migrant contesting elections from the Srinagar’s Habba-Kadal constituency while talking to News Agency of Kashmir.
He claimed that he himself purchased the “Form M” despite being the provision of free and alleged that the officials in the Relief Commissioner’s office are not providing him the voter lists of Habba Kadal constituency despite frequent visits and clear cut guidelines from the Election Commission in this regard.
“This is ridiculous. I was befooled by the officials at Relief Commissioner’s office that they have no lists but when I approached the Assistant Returning Officer (migrants) in his office chamber at Shaheedi Chowk” Shiban Jee asserted while alleging some foul play on the part of authorities to marginalize the KP voters.
Similar types of allegations were made by the number of KP migrants who were spotted by this correspondent outside the Shankar Building, Canal Road while verifying the charges leveled by the contesting candidate.
“Ours is the community with highest literacy rate among the other communities in the state. We know the value and importance of our vote. But it appears that authorities have decided to ousted us from the electoral process by putting conditions not easily to be met in the sphere of corruption prevailing in the system” alleged one Dwarka Nath Bhat who was roaming in the Shankar Building for the last two days to complete the formalities.
Two other KP migrants namely Brij Bushan Raina and Bansi Lal Jalla alleged large scale discrepancies in the voter lists of the Ganderbal and Pattan constituencies in the valley. “During the last Lok Sabha elections I polled by vote but this time not of mine but the name of many of KPs have been omitted. This is unfair and a part of strategy to end our identity” alleged Jalla while displaying his Ration Card and other documents. He further alleged that the officials in the office are not co-operating with them to trace out their names.
Another group of migrants who were also verifying their names in the voter lists also made similar allegations and further accused the Relief Commissioner of being silent over the issue just to delay the completion of process of formalities.
It is worthwhile to mention here that KP bodies had earlier expressed their apprehensions over the negative affect of KPs vote share in the valley and had appealed the Election Commission of India to review the order, which went unnoticed.