SRINAGAR: After a prolonged gap of seven years, Jammu and Kashmir is gearing up for panchayat elections in April-May this year, marking a significant step in strengthening grassroots governance, sources revealed. The finalized voter lists for the upcoming polls were officially released on January 20.
In preparation for the electoral process, the Union Territoryโs State Election Commission (SEC) has commenced the procurement of necessary polling materials. The SEC is in the midst of acquiring approximately 40,000 voting compartments along with 64 other essential election-related items. The deadline for finalizing procurement contracts has been set for March 11, with supplies expected to be delivered within the following month.
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โJammu and Kashmir currently has a total of 38,800 designated polling stations, with 18,700 situated in the Jammu region and 20,100 in the Kashmir region. The last panchayat elections in the Union Territory were conducted in 2018, and the tenure of those elected representatives concluded in 2023,โ a senior official told The New Indian.
The last panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir were held in 2018, with polling conducted in nine phases from November 17 to December 11. The elections witnessed an overall voter turnout of 74.1%, with 83.5% in Jammu division and 44.4% in Kashmir division.
The elections were conducted for 4,483 Sarpanch and 35,029 Panch seats across 316 blocks.
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The National Conference (NC) and the Peopleโs Democratic Party (PDP) decided to boycott the elections, citing concerns over the abrogation of Article 35A.
Despite this, independent candidates and smaller political groups participated actively. The elected panchayats completed their five-year tenure in January 2023.
The upcoming panchayat election holds particular significance as it will be the first panchayat poll in J&K following the revocation of Article 370 in August 2019, making it a landmark event in the regionโs political landscape.
