The Election Commission of India (ECI) is preparing for a Summary Revision of electoral rolls in Jammu and Kashmir for Parliamentary and Assembly voters, with January 1, 2024, as the cutoff date. The final rolls are set to be published on January 5. Concurrently, the UT Government is considering providing reservation to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Panchayat and Municipalities, akin to other States/UTs in the country.
A significant issue has been identified in certain Wards of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), notably in the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), where some Wards have nearly four times more electorates than others. The government is contemplating OBC reservation based on their population, similar to Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) as well as women, who have already been allocated 33 percent reservation in Municipalities and Panchayats.
The discrepancy in voter numbers among Wards, particularly in JMC, was discovered during objections raised by the public. While this could have been rectified through fresh delimitation of Municipalities, such an exercise was not conducted by the Housing and Urban Development Department before the elections. Delimitation for Sarpanch and Panch segments of Panchayats has also not been carried out by the Rural Development Department.
Most Municipalities, including JMC and SMC, are likely to end their five-year terms in November, while Panchayats’ terms will conclude in December and January. Urban Local Bodies elections were held in October 2018 after a 13-year hiatus, and Panchayat polls took place in November-December 2018 after decades.
Simultaneously, the Election Commission of India is preparing for a fresh Summary Revision of electoral rolls in Jammu and Kashmir, aligning with other States and Union Territories for Lok Sabha and Assembly voters. The summary revision, with a cutoff date of January 1, 2024, is expected to commence in the next few days, and the final electoral rolls are likely to be published on January 5.
This marks the third Summary Revision of electoral rolls in Jammu and Kashmir following the completion of the delimitation exercise for Assembly elections. The first such revision was ordered after the Delimitation Commission report was notified, and the final electoral rolls were published on November 25, 2022. Another Summary Revision was conducted on March 24, 2023, and the final rolls were published on May 25, 2023. Jammu and Kashmir currently has almost 85 lakh electorates. Separate revisions for electoral rolls for Municipalities have been undertaken, and a similar exercise for Panchayat polls is ongoing, with the rolls set to be published on October 10. (Daily Excelsior)
