Amid raging controversy over giving voting rights to "outsiders" in the coming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the Union Territory Hridesh Kumar Singh has invited all major political parties for a meeting with him on Monday.
The meeting will be held to take all parties on board the special summary revision of the electoral rolls for the coming assembly polls in J&K.
Singh has invited all major political parties for a meeting with him on Monday over the special summary revision of electoral rolls.
Kumar has sent invitation letters to political parties for a meeting with him on September 5 at Nirvanchan Bhavan, Jammu over the issues related to the special summary revision of electoral rolls.
"All major parties including NC, BJP, Congress, Peoples Conference and Peoples Democratic Party have been invited by the CEO's office for the meeting scheduled on Monday at 4:00 PM," sources said.
While political parties have communicated that the meeting has been convened over special summary revision of voters, sources said the CEO may also clear apprehensions of the political parties.
Sources said that the main aim of this all-party meeting is to remove misconceptions and apprehensions of some political parties about voting rights to "outsiders".
Opposition announced launching a stir against the decision of the Election Commission
Former Chief Minister and president of the National Conference Dr. Farooq Abdullah has already announced that the opposition will adopt all means to oppose this move of the Election Commission.
Addressing media persons after the much-publicized all-party meeting at his residence on August 22, Dr. Abdullah said that participants in the meeting have decided to legal and political means to oppose the decision of the Election Commission to give voting rights to non-residents of Jammu and Kashmir.
"We will oppose this decision both legally and politically but would not allow BJP to accomplish its nefarious designs", he said, adding, "Decision to give voting rights to non-locals is unacceptable to people of Jammu and Kashmir".
J&K Govt already dismisses controversy as "misrepresentation" of facts
Jammu and Kashmir Government has already dismissed the row over the likely addition of 25 lakhs names to the electoral roll.
In a bid to clarify the confusion, the government said, "There have been media reports that more than 25 lakh additions will be there in the electoral rolls. This is a misrepresentation of facts, which is being spread by vested interests. This revision of electoral rolls will cover existing residents of the UT of J&K and an increase in numbers will be of the voters who have attained the age of 18 years as of 1.10.2022 or earlier".
The government further said that the number of electors as published in the Special Summary Revision of J&K State in 2011 was 66,00,921, and the number of electors as of today in the electoral roll of J&K UT is 76,02,397. This increase is mainly due to the new voters, who attained the age of 18 years.
