New voters in J&K will be kingmakers: migrants are the backbone of the economy here; Many areas are known as Chhota Bihar

In Jammu and Kashmir, the work of preparing the voter list before the elections is going on in full swing. This time 25 lakh new voters can be added. The commission has announced that people from other states residing here can also enroll themselves as voters under the Representation of the People Act. After this announcement of the commission, there is tremendous enthusiasm among these migrants.

Migrants who have been living in the Union Territory for decades say that now their voice will also be heard after getting the right to vote. However, regional parties in Kashmir are opposing giving voting rights to migrants. Meanwhile, Bhaskar visited the major settlements of migrants in Jammu namely Digiana, Preet Nagar, Nanak Nagar, Miran Sahib, Kunjwani, Qasim Nagar, Rajiv Nagar.

Ajay of Bihar said – his father had settled in Jammu in 1981.
Ajay Shah, a fruit vendor who settled here from Bhagalpur district of Bihar, says that his father had settled in Jammu in 1981. Both my sons are studying commerce in degree college. They say that we have been voting in the Lok Sabha elections for a long time, but due to Article 370 we were deprived of voting in the Vidhan Sabha elections. Now that obstacle has been removed.

Ajay told that he is getting the voter card made for all the 8 members of the family.

Ajay Shah’s father Bhupal Shah says that in the 1996 and 2002 elections, some migrants living here had cast their votes, but their names were removed from the voting list after opposition from rival parties. Pravasi Chandrakant tells that he is also excited to get his name added in the voter list. You can choose the government of your choice by participating in the voting process.

Chhabi of Chhattisgarh said – I want to live in Jammu for life
Chhabi Lal Bhardwaj, a resident of Janjgir Champa in Chhattisgarh, has been in Jammu for 33 years. He tells that I also want that my honor and respect should increase, so I want to stay in Jammu for life. He is also very excited about enrolling his family members in the voter list. He says that this will enable them to take advantage of the facilities of the state government in the coming times.

Small settlements of migrants are seen along the road in Jammu and Kashmir. These settlements are called ‘Chhota Bihar’.

15 lakh migrants residing in J&K for 10 or more years
The entire economy of Jammu and Kashmir is dependent on migrant workers and professionals. Big projects, be it flyovers, tunnels, highways or houses, every project is being completed due to these. They work in paddy fields, apple orchards, brick kilns, tailoring. According to an estimate, there are about 15 lakh migrants in the state who are living here for 10 years or more. Adding the number of migrants coming for short duration, this number crosses 25 lakhs.

Outsiders have been voting for decades in Lok Sabha elections
Political parties in the Kashmir Valley have been accusing the BJP-led central government of importing “non-local voters” to win seats in Jammu and Kashmir. But if seen at the ground level, non-local voters have been casting their votes without facing any difficulty for a long time. In 2019, there were 32 thousand such voters.