Countdown Begins for Lok Sabha Elections

With the issuance of the Election Planner by the Election Commission of India (ECI) the countdown for the General Elections to the Lok Sabha has begun. It has underlined the various activities in the build up to the election. That includes the timelines/duration for the activities related to conduct of elections. The Election Commission of India has  tentatively given 16th April  as the Poll Day for the purpose of  reference and to calculate  Start and End Dates in the Election Planner. It has been clearly mentioned that on every start and end date of each activity, a notification has to be sent from the Election Planner Portal to the CEO’s through SMS and email. Strict compliance of the rules regarding each election activity has to be made. In this context the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in Jammu and Kashmir has already announced the publication of electoral rolls. It has reflected that 2.31 lakh new voters have been added in Jammu and Kashmir. It is a welcome sign that a larger participation of the voters in the electoral process will create enthusiasm. This updated roll also includes the deletion of 86,000 names due to various reasons. Corrections have also been made for nearly 1.46 lakh voters. These electoral rolls have given relevant information about the voters who exercise their right to franchise this year. It states that 8.93 lakh voters will decide the fate of the candidates this time from Jammu and Kashmir. It comprises of 44.35 lakh male and 42.58 female voters respectively. This statistics gives the information regarding the electoral population ration. This time it has improved from 0.59 to 0.60.This is a slight improvement. The significant development is that the gender ratio  has shown an upswing from 924 to 954. On the directives of the Election Commission of India (ECI), the special summary revision of electoral rolls, with a qualifying date of 1st January, 2024 was executed in two major stages. This comprehensive process has yielded desired outcomes that will enable the voters to cast their votes comfortably. After the neutralisation of Article 370 and 35 A there is a renewed zeal among the masses to vote for peace and development in Jammu and Kashmir. The national issues will surely have an impact on psyche of the masses. It has to be witnessed what is in store for the parties who are going to field their candidates for the elections. One thing is clear that the people in the union territory want to send the candidates to the Lok Sabha who can sensitise the Parliament regarding the grass root issues that have been left unaddressed. These elections will also test the turf for the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir that are also overdue. Thus all national parties and local parties must leave no stone unturned to test the political waters. People in Jammu and Kashmir are over eager to strengthen the democracy and elect a stable government for them. Jammu and Kashmir and its people have always participated in the democratic festival called election. This time things will be different. Be it Lok Sabha Elections or the Assembly Elections. People want their representatives to represent the aspirations of the people with transparency. So that the entire nation can see real Jammu and Kashmir that was eclipsed by terrorism, nepotism and corruption. The celebration of new year at Lal Chowk and other parts of Kashmir  by people who braved the chilly winters shows the desire for embracing the national mainstream with all vigour and vitality.