Lok Sabha Elections 2024: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has set up special polling booths at different locations in Delhi to facilitate voting for the Kashmiri migrant community. Voting for the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency is scheduled for May 25, followed by Srinagar on May 13 and Baramulla on May 20.
According to the officials, more than 1.13 lakh Kashmiri migrants are registered to vote in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections for the Anantnag, Srinagar and Baramulla constituencies in the Kashmir Valley.
Four special polling booths for Kashmiri migrants
"To facilitate the Kashmiri migrants residing in Delhi to cast their votes in person on the polling days during the Lok Sabha elections for seats across Jammu and Kashmir, the ECI has established special polling booths for the community at four different locations in the capital," an official spokesman said.
These special polling booths for the Kashmiri migrant community are situated at various locations in Delhi, including the Kashmir Resident Commission on Prithviraj Road, Kashmir Kisan Ghar in Shalimar Bagh, Arwachin International Public School in Dilshad Garden, and GGSSS Paprawat in Najafgarh.
Free transportation service to voters
The Election Commission has further mandated the provision of free transportation to and from these special polling booths for eligible Kashmiri migrants, ensuring their access to cast their votes without any financial burden.
"In a first, the ECI has instructed to provide free transportation for eligible Kashmiri migrants to and from these special booths," reads a communication received by the office of AERO/ARO, Migrants, New Delhi. The transport service will be provided to Kashmiri migrants from the camps to their respective polling stations and back.
To extend support to the Kashmiri migrant voters, the office of AERO and ARO, Migrants, New Delhi, is efficiently functioning during working hours at Prithviraj Road in New Delhi and has set up a help desk that has assisted numerous stakeholders in filing offline and online Form-M, Form 12-C, and other necessary documents.
In addition, a series of camps and meetings have been arranged at various locations to raise mass awareness and encourage greater participation among Kashmiri migrant voters residing in the capital. The official said booth-level officers are also visiting door-to-door to educate and assist the migrant voters.
These camps, held at different venues across Delhi and NCR, garnered significant response, leading to a noticeable surge in the enrollment of voters through Form-M and Form 12-C compared to the previous parliamentary Lok Sabha election.
169 voters registered
According to the data, approximately 169 voters have been registered, along with receiving 65 Form-Ms and 4 Form-12Cs for the Baramulla parliamentary constituency. For the Srinagar parliamentary constituency, 480 voters have been registered, along with receiving 183 Form-Ms and 8 Form-12Cs. Additionally, 95 voters have been registered, along with receiving 40 Form-Ms for the Anantnag parliamentary constituency till date.
The official said the Kashmiri migrants are showing keen interest in participating in the upcoming elections and a high voter turnout is expected during these polls.
(With PTI inputs)
