Revision of electoral rolls doesn’t disturb schedule/conduct of polls: ECI

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Wednesday said the revision of electoral rolls in Jammu & Kashmir doesn’t disturb schedule or conduct part of polls and the poll-body is aware that there is a vacuum in the Union Territory which needs to be filled.

Addressing a news conference in New Delhi, as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the CEC said that revision of electoral rolls in Jammu & Kashmir doesn’t disturb schedule or conduct part of the polls. “It doesn’t disturb the schedule part/conduct part that depends on various other factors,” the CEC said.

The CEC said that they are aware that there is a vacuum in Jammu & Kashmir which needs to be filled.

On fresh revision of electoral rolls in Jammu & Kashmir, the CEC said the process is aimed at bringing the voter list of J&K at par with the rest of the country. “There are four qualifying dates for enrollment of voters. The qualifying date for revision of electoral rolls in Jammu & Kashmir was October 1 while January 1 was the qualifying date for summary revision in the country. We wanted to complete the process (previous revision) as soon as possible,” he said, adding that those who will attain the age of 18 years on April 1, 2023 are eligible to enroll themselves as voters.

On March 20, the ECI ordered a fresh revision of electoral exercise in Jammu & Kashmir. The exercise would start on April 5 with publication of the integrated draft electoral roll and culminate on May 10 with publication of final electoral rolls.

This is the second such exercise ordered by the poll-body in Jammu & Kashmir in less than one year.

Jammu & Kashmir has been without an elected government since June 19, 2018 when BJP withdrew support to Mehbooba Mufti-led government for which it had entered into a power-sharing agreement in 2015.