Over 18,000 Migrant Voters to Cast Ballots in Baramulla Seat

Baramulla-Kupwara Lok Sabha constituency in North Kashmir, gearing up for the fifth phase of elections on May 20, will see over 18,000 migrant voters out of the 26,000 registered Kashmiri Pandit voters exercise their franchise across the country. These elections coincide with 49 Lok Sabha seats in six states and two Union Territories.

Official records indicate that 18,000 of the 26,000 registered migrant voters from the Baramulla-Kupwara constituency are updated to vote on May 20 in the Jammu region. Authorities have made substantial efforts to ensure the inclusion of more migrant voters, addressing the previous grievances where many names were missing from the electoral rolls.

This year, the authorities have established better facilities for migrant voters nationwide. Notably, three Auxiliary Polling Stations have been set up in Jammu: two at Jagti township (Community Hall and Camp Middle School) and one at Udheywala Bohri (Agriculture University complex). The Jagti township stations and Udheywala booth collectively cater to over 3,600 voters.

There is a significant enthusiasm among the migrant voters, bolstered by a higher voter registration in Baramulla-Kupwara compared to the Srinagar constituency. This constituency will witness a multi-cornered contest with 32 candidates, including prominent figures like former Chief Minister and NC working president Omar Abdullah, People’s Conference chief Sajjad Gani Lone, Independent candidate Engineer Rashid (contesting from Tihar Jail), and PDP candidate and ex-MP Fayaz Mir.

Migrant voters can play a decisive role in this constituency, which has over 17.32 lakh voters, including 8.59 lakh women. Candidates are actively engaging with them through personalized messages. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in a recent interview, emphasized the importance of Kashmiri Pandits in the elections, further motivating the community to vote.

To facilitate voting, the Election Commission has updated voter lists on its website five days before the elections, allowing migrants to ensure their names are listed. The Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner has assigned duties to officials to address any shortcomings, and sufficient staff has been deployed at migrant polling booths. Additionally, a Help Desk and BLOs have been stationed for voter assistance.

Discrepancies from previous phases have been addressed, and ECI guidelines are being strictly followed. A separate postal ballot team has been formed, and contact details of relevant officers have been circulated. Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) for Migrants, Riaz Ahmed, confirmed that 26,000 Kashmiri migrants are registered voters, with a nearly equal gender split.

Twenty-nine Polling Stations have been set up for migrant voters: 24 in Jammu, four in Delhi, and one in Udhampur. The Election Commission has arranged a pick-and-drop facility available from 6 am to 6 pm on polling day to assist voters.

Migrant voters have two options for casting their votes: by filling up an M-form for voting at special Polling Stations or through postal ballots by filling up Form-12C. The Baramulla-Kupwara seat spans 18 Assembly constituencies across four districts—Kupwara, Baramulla, Bandipora, and Budgam—with over 17.32 lakh voters casting their votes at 2,103 Polling Stations. PTK