EC will have to suspend process to conduct elections
Will last 4 months unless stopped
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 31: Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Jammu and Kashmir today initiated the process for Special Summary Revision of Electoral Rolls, which will start from September 1 and conclude with publication of final electoral rolls on January 1, 2020.
CEO J&K Shailendra Kumar has called high-level meeting with District Election Officers (DEOs), who happened to be the Deputy Commiss-ioners, on August 2 to discuss preparations for Special Summary Revision-2020 and related issues.
“Yes, I have called a high-level meeting to discuss preparations for the Summary Revision Exercise with the District Election Officers, Election Returning Officers and Assistant Returning Officers,” Kumar told the Excelsior amidst rumours floated on social media as well as some news agencies that the CEO had convened the meeting to review arrangements for the Assembly elections.
The rumours prompted the CEO Office to come out with a clarification immediately saying the meeting has been convened regarding Electors Verification Programme (EVP) and Special Summary Revision-2020, which is an annual exercise undertaken by the Election Commission of India to update/purify Electoral Rolls in the country.
“The Special Summary Revision starts every year on September 1 and culminates with final publication of Electoral Rolls in the month of January in every State of the country,” the clarification issued by the CEO office said.
Reliable sources, however, told the Excelsior that if the Election Commission of India decides to go ahead with holding of Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir in October-November, it would have to halt the Special Summary Revision Exercise initiated in the State.
“The Special Summary Revision and the process for Assembly elections can’t go on simultaneously,” they said, adding if the Election Commission of India announced schedule for the elections in the State after August 15 as stated by it earlier, it will have to suspend the Special Summary Revision Exercise, which will start from September 1.
The BJP high command had also directed the J&K unit of the party last night to gear up for the Assembly elections indicating that the polls could be held in October-November.
However, according to sources, it has to be either the Assembly elections or the Special Summary Revision of Electoral Rolls. The Summary Revision, unless suspended, will last four months (September-December) and culminate with publication of final Electoral Rolls between January 1 to 8.
An initial orders issued by Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, J&K said the CEO will be chairing a meeting through video conference with all the District Election Officers (Deputy Commissioners), Deputy DEOs/EROs/AEROs on August 2, 2019 from 2.30 pm to 4 pm.
“A detailed power presentation regarding Electors Verification Programme, Pre-Revision Activities and SSR 2020 will be on agenda of the meeting,” the CEO order said and called upon the Deputy Commissioners to present their feedback/suggestions with regard to preparation for Electors Verification Programme, Pre-Revision Activities and Special Summary Revision.
As the order was widely circulated on social media and even news agencies ran stories declaring that the CEO office had called high-level meeting on preparation for Assembly elections on August 2, the CEO office immediately came out with clarification through another order saying the meeting has been called regarding Elector Verification Programme and Special Summary Revision-2020, which is an annual exercise undertaken by the Election Commission of India to update/purify Electoral Rolls in the country.
It said the Special Summary Revision starts every year on September 1 and culminates with the final publication of Electoral Rolls in the month of January in every State of the country.
The clarification sets at rest the speculations that August 2 meeting had been called to review preparations for Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
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