Nasir Azam
Srinagar, Jun 21: Setting the stage for holding assembly polls in Jammu & Kashmir, the Election Commission of India on Friday ordered a special summary revision of electoral rolls in the Union Territory.
The poll-body ordered the revision of electoral rolls in Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory and three poll-bound states.
The poll-body announced the revision of electoral rolls for J&K hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced here that Jammu & Kashmir will soon have an elected government.
“… It is to state that the election to the legislative assembly in your state is due to be held later this year and section 21(2) of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1950 provides that the electoral shall be revised with reference to the qualifying date before each general election to the Legislative Assembly of a state . Accordingly, to maximize the registration of all eligible citizens, who are attaining the age of 18 years on or before Ist July 2024 and with the purpose of improving health of the electoral roll, the Commission has decided to carry out second summary revision of photo electoral rolls w.r.t 01.07.2024 as the qualifying date in your state,” reads the communique sent to J&K chief electoral officer by the ECI.
The letter has also been sent to CEOs of Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand where polls are scheduled later this year.
According to the letter, the revision exercise would start on July 25 and culminate on August 20.
Before the revision exercise, the poll-body would carry out pre-revision activities like rationalisation of polling booths and house to house surveys by booth level officers (BLOs) from June 25 to July 24.
Sources disclosed that the ECI is likely to unveil the schedule of J&K polls in August and complete the entire election process by September 30- the deadline set-up by the Supreme Court for the exercise.
The last assembly election in Jammu & Kashmir was held in 2014. Since June 19, 2018, J & K has been without an elected government.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi here said that preparations have begun for assembly polls in Jammu & Kashmir.”The people of Jammu and Kashmir elect their representatives at the local level, through them you find ways to solve problems, what can be better than this? Therefore, now the preparations for the Assembly elections have also started. The time is not far when you will elect the new government of Jammu and Kashmir with your votes. That day will also come soon when Jammu and Kashmir will once again make its future better as a state,” he said.
