What is the controversy around the revision of electoral rolls in J&K?

GS paper 2

Syllabus: Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.

Source: The Hindu

Directions: Kee a note on ECI, delimitation commission and voting rights.

Context:

• The J&K Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), announced that anyone “who is living ordinarily in J&K” can avail the opportunity to get enlisted as a voter in the Union Territory in accordance with the provisions of the Representation of the People Act.

Who else is eligible to vote?

• Voting right for armed forces: The armed forces posted in J&K could register as voters and could possibly participate in the first ever Assembly polls in the youngest Union Territory (UT) of the country.
• Delimited assemblies: The CEO said the existing electoral roll is being mapped into the newly delimited Assembly constituencies as per the Delimitation Commission’s final order made applicable by the Union Law Ministry with effect from May 20, 2022.

Why are electoral rolls being revised?

• Delimitation Commission: The ECI is working on fresh electoral rolls in J&K after the J&K Delimitation Commission earlier this year carved out seven new Assembly constituencies in the UT, six going to the Jammu division and one to Kashmir, under the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act adopted in 2019.
  • • • Jammu now has 43 seats against 47 in Kashmir.
• The ECI has decided that it will also include any person who has attained the age of 18 years on or before October 1, 2022 in the fresh electoral rolls.

What did the CEO announce?

• No need for a domicile: There is no need for a person to have a domicile certificate of J&K to become a voter.
  • • • An employee, a student, a labourer or anyone from outside who is living ordinarily in J&K can enlist his or her name in the voting list
• Option for armed forces: The CEO said armed forces from different parts of the country “have the option that if they are posted in a peace station they can enlist themselves as voters.
• New voters: He observed that around 25 lakh new voters are expected to be enrolled in J&K, which has 76 lakh voters on the list.
  • • • He said the projected 18-plus population of J&K was around 98 lakh.
• Representation of the People Act 1950 and 1951: After the abrogation of special provisions of Article 370, the Representation of the People Act 1950 and 1951 is applicable in J&K.

Insta Links:

ECI

Mains links:

Mandate and functions of ECI, RPA, Delimitation Commission, and De-freezing of constituency after 2026 (esp. those giving Mains this time) are important for both prelims and Mains

Q. In the light of recent controversy regarding the use of the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), what are the challenges before the Election Commission of India to ensure the trustworthiness of elections in India? (UPSC 2018)

Prelims link: