J&K Cong expresses apprehension about inclusion of outside voters in electoral roll

Jammu, Nov 25 (PTI) The Jammu and Kashmir Congress expressed apprehension about possible inclusion of outside voters in the final electoral roll which was published on Friday.

The final electoral roll of Jammu and Kashmir was published with the highest-ever addition of more than 11 lakh voters, officials said.

Taking into account the deletion of names from the electoral roll, the net increase stood at 7,72,872 electors, they said.

The Congress said such an unprecedented increase in new voters suggests that the announcement made in the past by the ruling setup appears to be true.

A poll official had said in August that the Union Territory is likely to get around 25 lakh additional voters, including outsiders, after the special summary revision of electoral rolls.

The Congress party also batted strongly for early conduct of the Assembly polls.

"Our apprehension that some non-eligible voters have been added from outside Jammu and Kashmir as per announcement appears to be true," Chief Spokesperson of the J&K Congress Ravinder Sharma said.

"We have to see as to who are these voters who have been added," he said.

He said now that the final electoral roll has been published, the government should go ahead with elections as there is no reason now to delay them. PTI AB SMN