Srinagar Oct 11: The State Election Commission has initiated a process for holding Panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
This comes days after Assembly Elections were conducted in Jammu and Kashmir after 10 years. NC-Congress is set to form the government in the Union Territory.
State Election Commission has directed district development commissioners to provide the soft copy of the final Panchayat electoral 2024.
In a letter, the State Election Commission has written to district development commissioners, “I am directed to request you to kindly provide the soft copies of final panchayat electoral Roll 2024 for uploading on the website of State Election Commission.”
According to sources, the Panchayat elections are likely to be held before year-end as the process has been initiated for holding these polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
A total of 27,281 panches (panchayat members) and sarpanches (village headmen) were elected in the 2018 elections. There were 12,776 vacant sarpanch and panch seats in J&K. Bypolls to the Panchayats were held in 2020.
The Panchayat polls in J&K are not conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) but by the J&K state election commission.
Almost 30,000 panches and sarpanches completed five-year terms on January 9, 2024, and with that, the disbursal of Rs 25 lakh panchayat fund also ceased. The 2024 Panchayat poll will be held after fresh delimitation of ‘Halqas’ (Revenue Villages).
Earlier this month, officials confirmed to a Delhi-based media outlet that security forces deployed during these earlier elections will remain in place to ensure peaceful conduct of the upcoming polls.
“Preparations are now underway for the Panchayat and urban body elections in J&K. For this purpose, security forces deployed to ensure the peaceful conduct of the Assembly elections will remain in J&K until the municipal and panchayat elections are completed,” said an official.
The terms of the municipal corporations in Jammu and Srinagar expired last November, making the elections long overdue. The government is prioritizing the completion of these elections to fulfill legal requirements and restore local governance.
Security forces, initially deployed for the Amarnath Yatra and later for the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, will remain in J&K. “The decision to retain the security forces has been taken, keeping in view the high cost associated with to-and-fro movement and redeployment,” officials noted.
Once these polls are completed, Jammu and Kashmir will see the full restoration of democratic processes at all levels post the abrogation of Article 370. The Panchayat elections will be conducted by the J&K State Election Commission, rather than the Election Commission of India.
“The 2024 Panchayat poll will be held after fresh delimitation of ‘Halqas’ (Revenue Villages),” officials added, with almost 30,000 panches and sarpanches having completed their terms earlier this year.
