Political leaders in Kashmir have angrily retorted to reports that people ordinarily residing in Jammu and Kashmir even for purposes of work can cast vote in the next assembly election in the Union Territory, accusing the BJP of tilting the balance in its favour.<\/p>\n
\u201dIs the BJP so insecure about support from genuine voters of J&K that it needs to import temporary voters to win seats? None of these things will help the BJP when the people of J&K are given a chance to exercise their franchise,\u201d National Conference leader Omar Abdullah tweeted.<\/p>\n
He was reacting to media reports which claimed that people who are ordinarily residing in Jammu and Kashmir \u2014 for work, business or education \u2014 can vote in the next assembly elections.<\/p>\n
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said the real aim of the process was to disempower the local population.<\/p>\n
\u201dGOIs decision to defer polls in J&K preceded by egregious gerrymandering tilting the balance in BJPs favour and now allowing non-locals to vote is obviously to influence election results. The real aim is to continue ruling J&K with an iron fist to disempower locals,\u201d Mufti said.<\/p>\n
People\u2019s Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone termed the move as \u201ddangerous\u201d and said it will be \u201ddisastrous\u201d.\u00a0 \u201dThis is dangerous. I don\u2019t know what they want to achieve. This is much more than mischief. Democracy is a relic, especially in the context of Kashmir. Please remember 1987. We r yet to come out of that. Don\u2019t replay 1987. It will be as disastrous,\u201d Lone tweeted.<\/p>\n
There are allegations of mass rigging in the 1987 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election that is believed to be one of the causes behind the rise of militancy in the erstwhile state in the 1980s. (Agencies)<\/p>\n
The Kashmiris are not happy with this decision and as one Kashmir, Mr Tanveer said, “You cannot dilute a particular community with a foreign community.”<\/p>\n