Allowing outsiders to register as voters in J&K last nail in coffin of democracy: Mehbooba Mufti

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday said she has asked National Conference (NC) leader Farooq Abdullah to convene an all-party meeting of Jammu and Kashmir to decide the future course of action with regard to election commission allowing outsiders to register as voters in the Union Territory.

According to Chief Electoral Officer Hirdesh Kumar, 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.

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"I have requested Farooq sahib, being the seniormost leader, to convene an all-party meeting to discuss the new developments for adopting a unified course of action to deal with it," Mufti told reporters.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president 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".