Election Commission to begin revising electoral rolls in J & K

Election Commission (EC) has directed the election officer to complete summary revision of electoral rolls by October end for Jammu and Kashmir.

• This delimitation exercise is going to be conducted after a gap of three years.

What is delimitation?

• Delimitation is the act of fixing or redrawing the limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies (Assembly or Lok Sabha seat) in a country or a province having a legislative body, as per the Election Commission.
• The Delimitation Commission is appointed by the President of India and works in collaboration with the Election Commission of India.
• The delimitation exercise is carried out by an independent high-powered panel known as the Delimitation Commission whose orders have the force of law and cannot be questioned by any court.
• Composition:
  • Retired Supreme Court judge
  • Chief Election Commissioner
  • Respective State Election Commissioners.

What were the changes made by delimitation?

• Assembly seats: The Commission has increased seven Assembly seats — six in Jammu (now 43 seats) and one in Kashmir (now 47). It has also made massive changes in the structure of the existing Assembly seats.
• Lok sabha seats: The Commission has redrawn the boundaries of Anantnag and Jammu seats.
  • Jammu’s Pir Panjal region, comprising Poonch and Rajouri districts and formerly part of Jammu parliamentary seat, has now been added to Anantnag seat in Kashmir.
  • Also, a Shia-dominated region of Srinagar parliamentary constituency has been transferred to Baramulla constituency, also in the Valley.
• Kashmiri pandits: The Commission has recommended “provision of at least two members from the community of Kashmiri Migrants (Kashmiri Hindus) in the Legislative Assembly.
  • It has also recommended that Centre should consider giving representation in the J&K Legislative Assembly to the displaced persons from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, who migrated to Jammu after Partition”.

Significance of revision of electoral rolls

• The revision of electoral rolls is significant as the exercise is being carried out for the first time since the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
• Before the abrogation, only the permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir, popularly known as state subjects, were eligible to vote.
• The summary revision would also allow, for the first time, the displaced people of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) to apply for voting rights in the Assembly elections.
• In the past, they were allowed to vote in the parliamentary elections but not in the Assembly elections.