Srinagar, Aug 29: Girdhari Lal Raina, former MLC and spokesperson of the BJP JK-UT has expressed concern over delay in dispatching the postal ballots to the electors belonging to the Displaced Community from Kashmir for the forthcoming election to the Legislative Assembly of Jammu Kashmir.
In a communication to CEO J&K Pandurang K Pole IAS Raina raised this is-sue. He further added that besides delay in dispatching of postal ballots to the eligible electors from Kashmir the incomplete/insufficient address written on the envelope in which the voter has to send back his vote, as was experienced during recently held LokSabha election 2024, needs to be rectified in advance to avoid rejection of such envelopes by the Department of Postal services. The Postal Service Department also needs to be alerted in time to help them put required mechanisms in place so that these postal ballots reach their destina-tion in time, Ex-MLC stressed.
Former MLC GL Raina also raised the issues confronted by the voters of the minority community in Kashmir who stayed back in the valley in 1989-90 or and didn’t leave even thereafter. These voters were denied their fundamental Right to vote during the LokSabha election 2024 as the marked voter list with presiding officers and polling staff had been stamped VSPS against their names.
Their names exist on electoral rolls of their respective polling booths including the marked voter list but due to VSPS stamp they were asked to vote at special polling booths created for the displaced community in Jammu, Udhampur and NCR Delhi BJP Prabhari of Kashmir Displaced District explained. Visualize the situation and embarrassment a voter in Kashmir valley faced when asked at the last moment to go to Jammu, Udhampur or Delhi particularly when they never asked for such a stamp.
