Outsiders living in Jammu and Kashmir will also be able to cast their votes, the big announcement of the Election Commission

Assembly elections are likely to be held in Jammu and Kashmir this year. Earlier, the Election Commission has made a big announcement. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Electoral Officer Hridesh Kumar said that non-Kashmiris who are living in the state can cast their votes by getting their names included in the voter list. For this they do not need a residence certificate. Not only this, he said that the personnel of the security forces deployed for security in Jammu and Kashmir can also include their names in the voter list.

Hridesh Kumar told on Wednesday that this time in Jammu and Kashmir, the names of about 25 lakh new voters are expected to be included in the voter list. He told that employees, students, laborers and any non-local who is living in Kashmir can get his name included in the voter list. He said that local residence certificate is not required for inclusion of name in the voter list. Apart from this, the personnel of the security forces posted in Jammu and Kashmir can also vote by including their names in the voter list.

Voters are expected to increase in a big way

Hridesh Kumar said that for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, a special amendment is being done in the voter list. In such a situation, it is expected that this time there will be a big change. Not only this, in three years a large number of youths have become 18 years of age or more.

76 lakh voters in Jammu and Kashmir now

He told that from September 15, the process of including names in the voter list will start. It will run till 25 October. However, claims and objections will be settled by November 10. According to Hridesh Kumar, there are about 98 lakh people above 18 years of age in Jammu and Kashmir, while the total number of voters listed as per the final voter list is 76 lakh.

Mehbooba Mufti raised questions

PDP Chief and former CM Mehbooba Mufti has targeted the central government in this matter. He tweeted, “The decision of the Government of India to postpone the elections in Jammu and Kashmir, first to benefit the BJP and now to allow non-locals to vote, is to influence the election results. The real objective is to continue the rule of J&K by making the local people powerless.

GOIs decision to defer polls in J&K preceded by egregious gerrymandering tilting the balance in BJPs favour & now allowing non locals to vote is obviously to influence election results. Real aim is to continue ruling J&K with an iron fist to disempower locals. https://t.co/zHzqaMseG6

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) August 17, 2022

Former Jammu and Kashmir CM and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah tweeted asking whether BJP is feeling so insecure about genuine voters of M&K that it needs to import temporary voters to win elections. When the people of Jammu and Kashmir are given a chance to exercise their votes, none of these things will be of any use to the BJP, he said.