ECI Modifies Voting Scheme For Kashmiri Migrants

Jammu: As part of the Commission’s ongoing efforts to make electoral participation more inclusive and hassle-free for all sections of society, the Election Commission of India ordered suitable changes to the existing Scheme of voting by Kashmiri Migrants at Special Polling Stations.

As per the new arrangement, the Kashmiri Migrant Electors who are in various Camps/zones at Jammu and Udhampur shall no longer need to fill Form M, instead, they shall be mapped with the Special Polling Stations falling in the zones they are registered/residing.

In addition to this, the Commission also eased the process of filing Form M by those migrants who are staying outside Jammu and Udhampur, i.e. Delhi and other places in the rest of the country, by allowing ‘self-attestation’ instead of the earlier required certification by Gazetted officers, however, they shall be required to fill Form M as earlier. It is mentionable fact that there are 4 Special Polling Stations for migrants as per past practice. There is no change in the Postal Ballot facility and the same continues to be as notified earlier. They have to fill Form 12 C for seeking postal ballot. Form 12 C can be filled by any migrant, no matter where he is residing – at Jammu / Udhampur or Delhi, Mumbai, Noida etc.

The amended arrangement envisages the mapping of all 22 special polling stations (21 in Jammu and 1 in Udhampur) to the 21 Zones (20 in Jammu and 1 in Udhampur) individually, ensuring that every zone has at least one Special Polling Station.

In case there are multiple polling stations in one zone, the zonal officers shall earmark the intra-zonal jurisdiction for each such polling station keeping in mind the distance/ease of approach for each set of electors.

(CNI)