Municipal Elections in Kashmir and Jammu Divisions to be Held in Multiple Phases

VoM News Desk | September 16, 2023 | 12:44 AM IST | Elections 2023, Jammu Kashmir |

Municipal Elections in Kashmir and Jammu Divisions to be Held in Multiple Phases. (representative Image)

Preparing for the Municipal Elections

The upcoming Municipal elections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are set to take place in four phases in Kashmir and three phases in Jammu division. A formal announcement regarding these elections is expected by the end of this month.

Objections and Reservations

The Election Authority is currently addressing numerous objections received in response to the draft reservation list for Wards. Once these objections are finalized, the Election Authority will publish the final list of reservations, marking one of the last major formalities before the election announcement.

Additional Security Measures

To ensure the smooth conduct of the elections, the government is considering requesting additional paramilitary forces. Current troops are heavily engaged in anti-militancy operations across the Union Territory.

Election Preparedness

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) PK Pole has been actively overseeing preparations for the elections. This includes reviewing the readiness of 77 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in the Union Territory, encompassing 40 in Kashmir and 37 in Jammu. Among these, two are Corporations (Jammu and Srinagar), and the rest are Municipal Committees.

Multi-Phase Elections

The elections are expected to be organized in four phases for Kashmir division and three phases for Jammu division. There will be a gap of three to four days between each phase to facilitate the rotation of paramilitary forces and police personnel engaged in election duty.

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Reservations and Representation

The Election Authority has addressed concerns about representation by providing 33 percent reservation to women, as well as reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in line with previous elections.

Municipal Election Timeline

Assuming all preparations proceed smoothly, it is anticipated that the Municipal elections will conclude at the beginning of November. Revised electoral rolls for the Municipal polls have already been published, and other major formalities will be completed in the coming days.

Panchayat Elections Following Municipal Elections

Following the Municipal elections, the focus will shift to Panchayat polls in Jammu and Kashmir. Revised voter lists and draft reservations for Sarpanch and Panch constituencies are still pending. Once these are finalized, preparations for the Panchayat elections will commence.

Election Timing and Considerations

In 2018, Municipal elections were held in October, followed by Panchayat elections. The term of the Block Development Councils (BDCs) will end in October 2024, while the District Development Councils (DDCs) will complete their tenure in January 2026. Decisions regarding the timing of these elections will take into account the security situation and other logistical considerations.

Expanding Electorates

The number of electorates in Jammu and Kashmir has seen significant growth. In the last Special Summary Revision, the electorate count reached 83.59 lakh, with final electoral rolls published on November 25. Further revisions this year brought the total to 8.5 million. The increased electorates apply to both Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and are expected to extend to the Panchayat elections after further revisions.

VoM News Desk

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