Panchayat polls in J&K to start on Nov 17

Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Shaleen Kabra, on Sunday, announced the dates for the panchayat elections, which will be held in nine phases, in the state from November 17 to December 11.

“The dates of polls would be November 17, 20, 24, 27, 29 and December 1, 4, 8, 11. Individual notifications for each phase would be issued on October, 23, 26, 29 and November 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 14,” Kabra said addressing a press conference in Srinagar.

He noted that the last date for filing nominations for the nine phases would be October 30 and November 2, 5, 8, 10, 13, 16, 19 and 22.

The date of scrutiny of nominations would be October 31 and November 3, 6, 9, 12, 14, 17, 20 and 24, Kabra added.

The CEO said the last dates for withdrawal of candidature would be November 2, 5, 8, 12, 14, 16, 19, 22 and 26. He said the polling hours would be from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm.

The panchayat polls dates were announced a day after the CEO said that urban local bodies’ election in the state would be held from October 8 to 16 in four phases. The results of the municipal polls would be declared on October 20.

Despite major regional parties in the state - National Conference (NC) and People's Democratic Party (PDP) – announcing a boycott of these polls, the elections will be conducted on party lines.

The NC and the PDP have made it clear that they won’t participate in the polling exercise unless the Centre makes its position clear on safeguarding Article 35A--a constitutional provision that bars non-state residents from buying land and applying for various government jobs in J&K.

Militants have warned candidates against taking part in the polls, while separatists called a boycott.

In August, the Centre had sought a deferment in the hearing date in the Supreme Court, citing municipal and panchayat elections as the reason.