12 lakh eligible voters in J&K unregistered

Even as political parties tailor their Lok Sabha poll campaigns to cater to first time young voter, nearly four lakh eligible persons in the age group of 18 to 19 years have remained unregistered in Jammu and Kashmir.

Official figures reveal that out of 5,19,486 eligible persons in the age group of 18 to 19 years, only a little over 1,48,480 have been registered in the last revision of electoral rolls completed this year.

It reveals that among 24,22,383 youth falling in the age group of 20 to 29 years, only 19,82,701 have been registered. Not only young voters overall more than 12 lakh eligible voters are unregistered in the state.

The latest official figures reveal that the state’s total projected population for this year’s revision was 1,33,78,674 and out of it only 81,34,058 were eligible for registration as electors.

However, out of the total eligible persons, 69,33,118 have been registered as electors and 12,00,940 have remained unregistered.

In the age group of 30 to 39 years, out of 19,02,654 persons, only 17,51,986 have been registered as electors, and out of 14,06,671 persons in  the age group of 40 to 49 years, only 13,08,126 have been registered. Similarly, out of 14,39,854 persons failing in the age group of 50 to 69 years, only 13,90,020 have been registered while out of 2,90,168  persons in the age group of  70 to 79 years, only 2,61,836 have been  registered as electors.

The data has put a huge question mark over the functioning of the state’s Election department which often claims to ensure maximum participation of people in the election exercises in J&K.

“Understanding the aspirations of young voters and winning their votes become primordial for all parties. They are the people whose votes might alter the political landscape of the country.

But unfortunately in J&K people at the helm of affairs are not bothered about the participation in the democratic exercise,” said a political analyst.