Scores of Kashmiri Pandits return without voting in Jammu after finding names missing from roll

Scores of displaced Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu were unable to vote on May 13 in the fourth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha election as their names were found to be missing from the electoral rolls.

Even as the community members lined up across special polling stations in Jammu amid tight security, several of them had to return without casting their vote.

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"I came to the polling station with three members of my family to cast our votes despite such heat. We carried our EPIC (Voter ID) cards too. But we found our names missing from the electoral roll. It is a denial of our right to vote," Veena, a resident of Jagti camp and a migrant from the erstwhile Habbakadal area of Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, said.

‘No use of Voter IDs’

She wondered what's the use of the voter ID card issued by the Election Commission if that is not enough. “They (EPIC) should be cancelled by the EC. The government wants us to vote but at the same time has a process that denies us the right to exercise our franchise,” she added.

Avinash Raina and four of his family members, who hail from erstwhile Budgam area of Srinagar LS seat, also had to return without exercising their franchise. "We came here to vote. We don't figure in the voting list. What do we do now? Nobody is here to listen to us and resolve the issue," he said.

Kuldeep Kumar and scores of electors from his housing colony too had to return without voting from a special polling station set up in Talab Tillo.

"We found here that over 20 people were barred from voting as their names were absent from the voter list. Despite having EPIC cards, they were denied voting. There should be a probe into it," he said.

Problem with old data

Assistant Electoral Returning Officer (Migrants) Riaz Ahmed attributed the problem to old data that was used to prepare the lists. "We are aware of this problem. We tried to resolve these issues. We have told polling staff to allow such electors to vote," he said.

As many as 52,100 Kashmiri migrants are registered as voters from Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency with 25,760 of these counted as male voters and 26,340 listed as female voters, he said.

A total of 26 polling stations have been set up for the migrants, out of which 21 are in Jammu, four in Delhi and one in Udhampur.

"We have set up 21 polling stations in Jammu. In view of the increase in number of voters, we have to set up some more auxiliary polling stations. For the Srinagar constituency, we have increased the number to 23 polling stations," Mr. Ahmed said.

Surinder Koul, another victim, said: "We have raised the issue with the poll authorities... People are very angry."

A Congress leader and president of Jagti tenement committee, Shadi Lal Pandita said the government will be quick to accuse the Pandit community of not coming out to vote. “But see the ground reality. They have EPIC cards but they do not figure in the lists. It is grave injustice,” he said.

Srinagar is witnessing a multi-cornered contest with the National Conference fielding influential Shia leader Aga Ruhullah Mehdi and PDP its youth unit president Waheed Para, besides candidates from Apni Party, DPAP, and 20 others, including two women, in the fray.