Farooq Abdullah calls all-party meet to discuss voting rights to non-locals

Srinagar, Aug 18: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has called for an all-party meeting to discuss the Election Commission's decision to allow non-locals to vote in assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to the JKNC's official Twitter handle, senior J&K politician Farooq Abdullah personally spoke to the leaders of the other parties and requested them to attend the meeting scheduled on August 22 at 11 AM.

"Dr Farooq Abdullah has invited leaders of all political parties for a meeting to discuss the recent announcement by the J&K govt regarding the inclusion of non-locals in the voter lists (sic)," JKNC tweeted.

Dr Farooq Abdullah has invited leaders of all political parties for a meeting to discuss the recent announcement by the J&K govt regarding inclusion of non-locals in the voter lists. He personally spoke to the leaders & requested them to attend the meet at 11 AM on Mon, 22nd Aug.

— JKNC (@JKNC_) August 18, 2022

This came shortly after Mehbooba Mufti urged Abdullah to convene an all-party meeting on the Election Commission's announcement that non-local residents would be allowed to cast votes in the upcoming elections in the union territory.

Jammu and Kashmir is likely to get around 25 lakh additional voters, including outsiders, after the special summary revision of electoral rolls being held for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mufti said she has asked the NC president to invite even those parties with which "we have differences".

She said the move of the election authorities to allow outsiders residing ordinarily in Jammu and Kashmir for jobs, education or business to register as voters was the "last nail in the coffin of democracy here".