Discrepancies in voter lists

On the eve of forthcoming Municipal Corporation and other local body elections, BJP has raised serious questions and objections to discrepancies, errors and possible manipulations in the voter lists and voter cards which, if not rectified, will turn these elections into a big farce.

Addressing a press conference at party headquarters here today, National Executive Member and J&K Chief Spokesperson Dr Jitendra Singh produced documentary evidence with papers and print-outs to show that in certain areas and wards, either the voter lists were not available and if available these were printed in such font or script that these were not legible. In cases where the voter lists were available and also legible, the information provided about name, age, parentage or residential address was either inadequate or erratic, he added.

Dr. Singh said that in the absence of proper voter lists and voter cards, the National Conference-Congress coalition Government is exposed to the charge of being dishonest in its decision to hold fair and free elections to local bodies and that the entire electoral exercise is being carried out with the ulterior motive of securing over 300 crore worth Central grant in the name of local bodies which would later be subject to embezzlements and misappropriations as has been happening in the past.

Referring to voter identification cards, Dr. Singh reminded the administration that it is not mere a voter card but as per the statutes of Indian Constitution, voter card is notified as one of the identity proofs for every citizen of India like other identity proofs such as passport, driving licence etc. Therefore, even partly incorrect information in voter card could land the citizen in trouble while undergoing a security check and could also be challenged in court of law.

Dr. Singh said that the BJP has right from the beginning already taken several other exceptions to the local body elections and demanded implementation of 74th Amendment of Constitution if the Government is sincerely committed to the genuine empowerment of local bodies. Not only this, the party has also pointed out discrimination in increasing the number of Wards of Srinagar Municipal Corporation to 75 but leaving the number of Wards in Jammu Municipal Corporation unchanged, he added.

Flanked by former Mayor Kavinder Gupta and BJP Jammu district president Rajesh Gupta, Dr. Jitendra Singh displayed fallacious voting lists to cameramen and said the people need to be made aware of the fraud being played on them.

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Panchayat elections 14th phase

Even as nearly 99 per cent contestants in four blocks of Leh district were elected unopposed in 14th phase of Panchayat elections today, 67.3 per cent electorates exercised their right to franchise in the polls for nine blocks of three regions of the State to elect 166 Sarpanches and 597 Panches.

Nine blocks spread over all three regions of the State—Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh—that went to polls today comprised 217 Sarpanch and 1486 Panch constituencies. However, 217 Sarpanches and 1486 Panches had been elected as unopposed while there were no contestants for two Sarpanch and 155 Panch segments.

Out of a total of 2.22 lakh votes, 1.49 lakh exercised their right to franchise in 14th phase of voting today.

Highest turnout of 90 per cent was reported from Kralpora block of Kupwara district where election was held for three Panchayats only while lowest voting percentage of 52.3 was recorded in Pampore block of Pulwama district.

Bhallesa block of Doda district accounted for 84.7 voting. Voting percentage in other blocks included Kalaroos, Kupwara (84), Shopian (63), Nobra (82.3), Panamik (72.4), Nyoma (72) and Durbuk (78).

Polling in Bhallesa block of Doda district passed off peacefully amidst tight security arrangements. People turned up in large number in far off and remote areas of Bhallesa to cast their votes.

Heavy turn-out was recorded even from the villages where threat of the militants once loomed large. Long queues of people were witnessed right from the morning at Gandoh proper, Chilli, Samara, Manch, Haddal, Kota, Kilotran, Bharti, Soti, Kaljugasar, Goha, Changa and other areas of Bhallesa block.

The polling and counting remained incident free.

DIG Doda-Ramban range Manish Kumar Sinha and SP Headquarters Doda Arif Mohammad Reshu supervised security arrangements for the polls.

Polling would conclude in Jammu region in 15th phase of elections on June 11 with elections in Bhaderwah in Doda district, Marwah, Dachchan and Inshan in Kishtwar district. Polling process has already been completed in eight blocks of 10 districts of Jammu region.

Immediately after the polling was completed, counting of the votes was taken up at all places. Majority of results had been declared by late tonight and the election process would be over by tomorrow morning.

Like previous phase, majority of candidates for the posts of Sarpanches and Panches had been elected unopposed this time too.

Official sources said 13 out of 14 Sarpanches and 90 out of 92 Panches had been elected uncontested in Nobra block of Leh leaving only three constituencies for the election. Similarly, five out of six Sarpanches and 39 out of 40 Panches were elected unopposed in Panamik block of Leh district. Election in Panamik was held for only two segments.

In Nyoma block of Leh, nine Sarpanches from a total of 13 and 78 Panches from amongst 79 had been elected unanimously necessitating elections in five segments only while in Durbuk block of the same district six out of seven Sarpanches and 42 from 46 Panches were elected unopposed leading to polling only for five seats.

A total of 49 Sarpanches including one male and 734 Panches, 260 of them women, had been elected as unopposed.

In Shopian, seven Sarpanches had been elected unopposed while five Sarpanches won uncontested in Bhallesa block of Doda. Two Sarpanches were elected uncontested in Kalaroos and one each in Kralpora and Pampore.

Thirty-seven Panches were elected unopposed in Kalaroos, 17 in Kralpora, 52 in Pampore, 244 in Shopian and 135 in Bhallesa.

A highest number of 107 Panch constituencies went uncontested in Shopian block followed by 39 in Pampore in Pulwama. Two Sarpanch constituencies remained uncontested in Pampore. In Bhallesa also, three Panch segments went uncontested.

Out of a total of 20,306 votes, 17,057 exercised their right to franchise in Kalaroos block of Kupwara while 2349 votes were polled from a total of 2610 in Kralpora block of Kupwara district.

In Pampore block of Pulwama district, 24,307 from 46,458 votes were cast while in Shopian, 67,266 votes were polled from a total of 1.06 lakh.

In Nobra block of Leh, 706 votes were polled from a total of 857 while in Panamik block, 1123 votes were cast from 1551. In Nyoma block, 1215 people turned up for voting from a total of 1687 while in Durbuk block of Leh, 277 people exercised their right to franchise from 354.

In Bhallesa block of Doda district, 35,362 people exercised their right to franchise from 41,707.