By Agencies
SRINAGAR: In a significant decision to facilitate voting for Kashmiri migrants in the forthcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Election 2024, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has set up 24 special polling stations in Jammu, Udhampur, and New Delhi.
As in the recent Lok Sabha Election, the ECI has decided to eliminate the cumbersome process of filling Form-M for displaced people from the Kashmir Valley who are residing in Jammu and Udhampur for the Assembly Election. However, migrants residing outside Jammu and Udhampur will still be required to submit Form-M, but they are now authorised to self-attest the certificate appended to Form-M, thus eliminating the need to have the certificate attested by a Gazetted Officer.
This information was provided in a statement issued on Friday by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, JK UT.
“Kashmiri migrant voters residing at various relief camps in Jammu, Udhampur, and Delhi who have opted to cast their votes in person through Electronic Voting Machines in the J&K Assembly Election 2024 can do so at 24 polling stations, including 19 in Jammu, one in Udhampur, and four in Delhi,” the statement said.
In Jammu, 19 polling stations have been established at Government College for Women, Gandhi Nagar; Indian Institute of Management, Canal Road; North Zonal Accountancy Training Institute, Muthi; Directorate of Economics & Statistics, Janipur; Migrant School, Purkhoo; Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Complex, Gole Puli Talab Tillo; Govt Mixed Higher Secondary School, Muthi (Lower Roop Nagar); Migrant School, Nagrota; Government Higher Secondary School (Migrants), Jagti; Anuradha Higher Secondary School, Barnai; Agriculture University Complex, Udaiywala; JK Board of School Education, Rehari; Govt Middle School (Migrants), Jagti; Kendriya Vidyalaya, Ban Talab; Sant Mela Singh College of Education, Near Digiana Ashram; Sarvodya Public School, By Pass Santra Morh; Govt Girls Higher Secondary School, Miran Sahib; Birla Open Minds International School, Channi Himmat; and NSM College, Anand Nagar, Bohri.
Similarly, one polling station has been set up at Government ITI, Udhampur.
To facilitate Kashmiri migrants residing in New Delhi to vote in person during the Assembly Election for seats across Jammu and Kashmir, four special polling booths have been established at J&K House, 5 Prithviraj Road; the Office of the Deputy Director, Horticulture, Planning and Marketing, Shalimar Bagh; Arwachin International School, F Block, Dilshad Garden; and Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Paprawat.
Continuing the historic decision made by the ECI in the 2024 Lok Sabha Election, the practice of filling Form-M for migrant electors in Jammu and Udhampur has been discontinued. Electors residing in zones and camps will be mapped to their respective polling stations by the respective AERO Migrants in Jammu and Udhampur.
Draft roll extracts mapping migrant electors in various zones of Jammu and Udhampur to the respective Special Polling Stations will be published soon by the concerned AEROs. Additions, deletions, and corrections will be allowed for a period of seven days.
Subsequently, final photo electoral roll extracts will be published for each polling station, based on which migrant electors will be allowed to vote at these Special Polling Stations like any other voter, by presenting the EPIC or any of the 12 alternate photo identity documents notified by the Commission.
For migrants residing outside Jammu and Udhampur, self-certification of Form-M is now permitted, eliminating the need for attestation by a Gazetted Officer or other authorities.
“Those voters who are required to fill Form-M (i.e. those residing outside Jammu and Udhampur) and who wish to exercise their franchise in person should submit the details of the electors in their families to the Assistant Commissioner, Relief (Migrant), Jammu; Assistant Commissioner, Panchayat, Udhampur; Deputy Director, Horticulture, Planning and Marketing, Delhi; or Deputy Secretary, Office of the Resident Commissioner, New Delhi, in the prescribed Form-M.”
In addition, all migrant voters who have not opted to vote in person have the option to vote via postal ballot papers. They may apply for the postal ballot paper in the prescribed Form 12C, as outlined in the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, available in the offices of the Assistant Returning Officers.
Migrants residing outside Jammu, Udhampur, and Delhi can also download Form-M and Form 12C from the ECI website. After filling out these forms, they can have them verified by the Electoral Registration Officer of the areas where they reside.
Voting in the Assembly Election 2024 will be held across all 90 Assembly Constituencies (ACs) of Jammu and Kashmir in three phases, including 47 ACs in the Kashmir region.
In the first phase, 16 ACs in Kashmir, including 32-Pampore, 33-Tral, 34-Pulwama, 35-Rajpora, 36-Zainapora, 37-Shopian, 38-D.H.Pora, 39-Kulgam, 40-Devsar, 41-Dooru, 42-Kokernag(ST), 43-Anantnag West, 44-Anantnag, 45-Srigufwara-Bijbehara, 46-Shangus-Anantnag East, and 47-Pahalgam, will see polling on September 18.
In the second phase, a total of 15 ACs in Kashmir, including 17-Kangan(ST), 18-Ganderbal, 19-Hazratbal, 20-Khanyar, 21-Habbakadal, 22-Lal Chowk, 23-Channapora, 24-Zadibal, 25-Eidgah, 26-Central Shalteng, 27-Budgam, 28-Beerwah, 29-Khansahib, 30-Chrar-I-Sharief, and 31-Chadoora, will go to polls on September 25.
In the third phase, 16 ACs in the Valley, including 1-Karnah, 2-Trehgam, 3-Kupwara, 4-Lolab, 5-Handwara, 6-Langate, 7-Sopore, 8-Rafiabad, 9-Uri, 10-Baramulla, 11-Gulmarg, 12-Wagoora-Kreeri, 13-Pattan, 14-Sonawari, 15-Bandipora, and 16-Gurez(ST), will vote on October 1. —(KNO)
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