Early Times Report
Jammu, June 30: Amid reports that the BJP-led government is going to conduct the maiden assembly elections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has written a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of J&K to conduct a special summary revision of electoral rolls. The ECI has asked the J&K government to complete the process by October 31, 2022, with the final publication of electoral rolls. In a letter to the CEO of J&K, written by Pawan Diwan, Under Secretary, a copy of which has with the Early Times, the ECI asked the J&K government to due to various administrative reasons, this annual revision of electoral roll could not be undertaken in Jammu and Kashmir after 2019.
“In the meantime, delimitation exercise of constituencies in the Union Territory was also in progress and the finally delimitated constituencies were notified by the Delimitation Commission on 05th May 2022” the letter reads.
“As the revision of the electoral roll was not conducted for the last 3 years in Jammu and Kashmir, the newly eligible electors could not get themselves registered in the electoral roll”, the letter mentionedd, adding “ In view of the same, in order to update the electoral roll on the basis of newly delimitated constituencies, so that all newly eligible young electors can have the opportunity to get themselves enrolled, the exercise of Special Summary Revision with reference to the next qualifying date is required to be undertaken without further delay”.
In the above context, the Commission has started pre-revision activities in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, vide letter of even number dated 10;06.2022. The pre-revision activities will be culminating on 31.08.2022.
Consequent upon amendment in Section 14 of the Representation of the People Act by Election Laws (Amendment) Act, 2021, as notified vide the Gazette of India notification No. 67, dated 30th December 2021, and corresponding changes in the Registration of Electors Rule, 1960 as notified on 17th June 2022, four qualifying dates, namely, 1st January, 1st April, 1st July, and 1st October are available in the law.
In view of the reason explained in the preceding paragraph, the Commission has decided to order SSR, 2022 with respect to 1st October 2022 which is the next qualifying date for the preparation of the electoral roll, after the conclusion of the ongoing pre-revision activities.
Accordingly, the Commission has directed to carry out the revision activity for Special Summary Revision of Photo Electoral Rolls w.r.t 01.10.2022 as the qualifying date in UT of Jammu and Kashmir. |
