In the run for assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has set up 24 special polling stations in Jammu, Udhampur and New Delhi to facilitate voting for Kashmiri migrants, a senior official said. Earlier, the displaced migrants living in Jammu, Udhampur had to fill Form-M, a procedure followed in the Lok Sabha elections also. In a statement issued on Friday, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Jammu and Kashmir, Pandurang K Pole, said that in the assembly elections they will not have to go through that procedure.
"Kashmiri migrant voters residing in various relief camps in Jammu, Udhampur, and Delhi, who have opted to cast their votes in person through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in the election, can do so at 24 polling stations -- 19 in Jammu, 1 in Udhampur and 4 in Delhi," he said in the statement.
Form-M compulsion for Kashmiri migrants removed in Jammu, Udhampur
He further added, "Continuing with the historic decision taken by the ECI during the Lok Sabha elections, the earlier requirement for migrant electors in Jammu and Udhampur to fill out Form-M has been removed." CEO Pole said that electors residing in zones and camps will be mapped to their respective polling stations in Jammu and Udhampur.
He also said that the draft roll extracts, mapping migrant electors residing in various zones in Jammu and Udhampur to the respective special polling stations, will be published soon. Moreover, any addition, deletion and correction in the same will be allowed for a period of seven days
Following this procedure, the final photo electoral roll extracts will be published for each polling station. Based on these extracts, the migrant electors will be allowed to vote at the special polling stations. The voters will however, have to produce the Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC) or any of the 12 alternate photo identity documents notified by the EC.
Migrants outside Jammu, Udhampur can self-certify Form-M
Meanwhile, for migrants living outside Jammu and Udhampur, they can now self-certify Form-M, instead of getting it attested by a gazetted officer or other authorities, Pole said. "Those voters who are required to fill out Form-M -- those residing outside Jammu and Udhampur who wish to exercise their franchise in person -- should intimate the details of the electors in their families to the designated election officials," he said.
Besides, all migrant voters who have not opted to vote in person will have the option to vote through postal ballot papers, he said. The 90 assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir will go to polls in three phases starting September 18. Votes will be counted on October 4.
(With PTI Inputs)
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