Lok Sabha polls 2024: No clarity over scrapping of Form M for migrant Kashmiri voters

Srinagar: As Election Commission (EC) has already issued notification for first phase of Lok Sabha polls, there is no clarity over the demand of migrant voters from Kashmir over scrapping of filing Form M and simplification of postal ballot system to exercise their franchise.

Over the years, the migrant voters from the valley have been demanding that the cumbersome process of filing Form M should be done away with as it becomes difficult for them to exercise their right to vote.

Through this process, the migrant voters, mainly from the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community, have to apply for transfer of his or her vote from Kashmir to a polling station outside the Valley. The migrants, who seek to vote in transitory camps set up outside the Valley in Jammu, Udhampur and Delhi have to fill and submit the Form M before exercising their right to vote.

In order to make a high percentage of migrant voters turnout possible, postal ballots play an important role. The migrant voters exercise their franchise through postal ballot system, as was done at the time of elections in 1996, 1998 and 1999, 2002, 2008, 2009 and 2014 and 2019.

But the postal ballots are sent to returning officers in Kashmir or concerned deputy commissioners which is a time consuming process.

Officials dealing with the electoral process of migrant voters admitted that the EC in principle has agreed to simplify the Form M procedure so that they don’t face any problem in casting their vote and also adopt an online system for postal ballots.

But, the notification in this regard is still awaited, they said. During the recent meeting with EC by the state election authorities, the issue of migrant voters’ participation in the election process was discussed.

An official associated with the polling process said since Kashmiri migrant voters are spread all-over the country, setting up multiple polling stations at different cities of India is practically not possible.