J&K Govt kickstarts process for conducting Panchayat elections in UT; polls likely in January

After the successful conduct of assembly elections and the installation of the popular government in Jammu and Kashmir, authorities are all set to go for Panchayat elections in the Union Territory to trickle down democracy at the grassroots level.

The notification issued by the State Election Commission on Tuesday is an indication that Jammu and Kashmir is going to conduct Panchayat very soon.

The State Election Commission, J&K, today issued the revised revision schedule regarding the updation of Panchayat electoral roll-2025.

According to a document issued by the State Election Commissioner, B R Sharma in this regard.

• The publication of the Draft Panchayat Electoral Roll in Form PER-1 will be issued on 11.11.2024 filing of claims and objections for additions/deletions/corrections/transposition on 11.11.2024 to 09.12.2024.
• Special camps will be held at the Polling Booth Locations on 16.11.2024, 17.11.2024, 23.11.2024, 24.11.2024, 30.11.2024, and 01.12.2024.
• The Panchayat Election Booth Officials (PEBO i.e VLW/MPWIGRS) along with Assembly BLOs shall remain available at these Polling Booth Locations with the requisite forms and panchayat roll for the guidance of the electors.
• Similarly, the disposal of claims and objections will be done on 23.12.2024 by the ERO while publication of the final Panchayat Electoral Roll -2024 will be done on 06.01.2025.

Panchayat elections likely to be held in January 2025

The Panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir are likely to take place in January 2025. Following the successful Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, officials confirm that preparations are underway for these local elections, which are expected to be held in January 2025.

According to officials, security forces deployed during the Assembly elections will remain in J&K to ensure a peaceful election process for the Panchayat bodies. Retaining these forces is a cost-effective strategy, reducing the expenses associated with redeploying them later.

The last Panchayat elections were conducted on a non-party basis in September 2018, although political parties discreetly backed candidates. In the 2018 Panchayat elections, 27,281 Panches and sarpanches were elected, though 12,776 seats remained vacant. By-elections for these vacant Panchayat seats were held in 2020.

The Panchayat elections in  will be conducted by the State Election Commission, not the Election Commission of India. Nearly 30,000 Panches and Sarpanches completed their terms on January 9, 2024, with Panchayat funding paused. The 2024 Panchayat election will follow a new delimitation of 'Halqas' (revenue villages), marking a fresh start for local governance in the region.

OBC Commission likely to submit its report soon

Panchayat elections will be held after the Backward Classes Commission submits its report on reservation percentages for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in local bodies.

The three-member commission, established on June 11 and chaired by Justice (Retd) Janak Raj Kotwal, aims to determine OBC reservation percentages in Panchayats, Municipalities, Block Development Councils, and District Development Councils.

Currently, women hold 33 percent of reservations in urban and rural local bodies, while SCs and STs have reservations based on population. Once the commission submits its report, the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department will reserve wards for women, SCs, STs, and OBCs in Panchayats, followed by delimitation if required.

The Parliament passed bills in February 2024 to provide OBC reservations in local bodies, delaying elections initially scheduled for November 2023. Amendments to J&K's reservation law and Municipal and Panchayat laws facilitate OBC reservations.