SRINAGAR: Lately, social media has been abuzz with news about Baldev Kumar, a resident of Punjab, who has drawn attention for being the only non-resident of Jammu and Kashmir to submit a nomination for an election in the area. Claims surfaced that Kumar is the first outsider to contest polls in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
This, however, is not correct. Kumar does not hold the distinction of being the only outsider to participate in general elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Shams Khwaja, a resident of Delhi, also attracted considerable attention when he submitted nomination papers from Anantnag, prior to the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
There never was any bar on non-natives to contest from Jammu and Kashmir as far as the Lok Sabha election goes. However, the assembly elections were supposed to be contested by the erstwhile state subjects only.
Khwaja had completed a law degree from Jamia Millia Islamia. Although objections were raised against Khwaja’s candidacy, election authorities ultimately dismissed them, enabling him to become the first non-resident to contest election in Jammu and Kashmir. His election symbol was a green chilli, and he later garnered only 760 votes.
