NEW DELHI: Special polling stations will be created for the displaced community of Kashmiri migrants who fled the Valley and settled in the city in the late 80s to escape terrorism, officials from the Chief Electoral Office, Delhi told this newspaper.
The community will be provided four special polling stations where the eligible members can vote for the three constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir where they originally belonged, officials added.
“The migrants will be able to use the polling stations to vote for candidates who are in the fray at Baramulla, Srinagar and Anantnag-Rajouri on the dates these constituencies go to polls,” a senior official from the Delhi poll body said.
“While we would provide a space and manpower to conduct the voting, other arrangements such as verification of the voters and movement of the EVMs will be taken care of by the J&K administration,” the official added.
Besides Delhi, such special polling stations will also be created at 22 other locations. Of them, 21 are in Jammu while one is in Udhampur.
While the Kashmiri migrants settled in Delhi, Jammu and Udhampur can vote through EVMs at special polling stations, those living in other parts of the country, having their names registered in the electoral rolls of the three constituencies, can vote through postal ballot.
The migrants will have to give in writing about their willingness to participate in voting to the assistant returning officer. However, officials said individual intimation by each voter is not required and any head or a senior member of the family can also confirm about the decision. “We have Form ‘M’ for such voters. The potential electors would be put in the category of ‘notified voters.’ However, consent from the family’s head will not compromise the individual’s voting right as the voters will be verified by the polling staff,” said another senior official.
Those opting for the postal ballot will have to cast their vote 10 days in advance of the date the respective constituencies go to the polls.
