Gujjars ask EC to hold J&K polls after giving them reservation

JAMMU: An organisation of Gujjar community in Jammu and Kashmir today urged the Election Commission to hold polls here only after grant of political reservation to them.

"We urge Chief Election Commissioner ( CEC) to hold the Assembly elections in J&K only after granting political reservation to Gujjars and Bakkerwals, the Scheduled Tribes (ST) communities of the state," Bhartiya Gujjar Mahasabha state president Eshfaq-ur-Rehman Poswal said here.

In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner, Poswal also claimed that the electoral rolls have not been properly updated.

Demanding enrolment of Gujjars, Poswal alleged that the nomadic Gujjars and Bakkerwals have not been properly enrolled in the electoral rolls.

"They (Gujjars and Bakkerwals) are at present in the upper reaches of the state and will start returning before the onset of winters," Poswal said.

He asked the CEC to give some time so that when they return the electoral rolls are updated. He also said that many youth of these communities have also not been enrolled in the electoral rolls.

"The electoral rolls be properly updated for free and fair elections," he said and demanded that these ST communities have not been given political reservation like in other states. "They must be given political reservation before holding elections," he demanded from the CEC.

He also said, "the situation following the rains and flash floods is not conducive for holding the elections. The affected people should be first properly rehabilitated before holding of the elections".