In a significant move aimed at facilitating the participation of Kashmiri migrants in the upcoming 2024 general elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced a series of measures to streamline paperwork and voting procedures. The decision, announced after a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, seeks to address the challenges faced by displaced persons from Baramulla, Srinagar, and Anantnag-Rajouri in casting their votes.
Previously, migrant voters, primarily from the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community, were required to fill Form M to transfer their votes from Kashmir to polling stations in Jammu, Udhampur, or Delhi. However, the ECI has now waived the requirement for Form M for these specific groups, simplifying the voting process and eliminating bureaucratic hurdles.
Additionally, the ECI has accepted self-attested certificates appended with Form M from migrants residing outside Jammu and Udhampur, eliminating the need for attestation by a gazetted officer. This decision comes in response to representations received by the commission highlighting the difficulties faced by Kashmiri migrant groups in completing Form M, which often resulted in bureaucratic hassles and hindered their right to franchise.
Furthermore, the ECI has approved a recommendation allowing Kashmiri migrants to vote in person at transitory camps and via postal ballot. Twenty-two special polling stations have been designated across Jammu and Udhampur regions, ensuring accessibility for migrant voters. Electoral roll extracts for these stations will be derived from the respective assembly constituencies, with measures in place to prevent overlap between postal ballot voters and those voting in person.
The scheme enables migrants to exercise their voting rights either in person or via postal ballot, with necessary forms available on the ECI website. This initiative underscores the ECI’s commitment to ensuring inclusive and accessible electoral processes, particularly for marginalized communities such as Kashmiri migrants, ahead of the upcoming general elections in 2024.
