No Signs Of Local Body Polls in J-K As 2025 Wraps Up

No Signs Of Local Body Polls in J-K As 2025 Wraps Up

VoM News Desk | September 14, 2025 | 12:13 PM IST | Breaking News | Follow on Google News

No Signs Of Local Body Polls in J-K As 2025 Wraps Up

Srinagar- Panchayat and Urban Local Body (ULB) elections in Jammu & Kashmir appear unlikely this year, with the National Conference (NC)-led government yet to take crucial steps such as deciding on Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation and appointing a new State Election Commissioner (SEC).

“There are no chances of holding Panchayat and Urban Local Body polls this year. As of now, we have not received any such indication from the government,” a ruling NC legislator said.

The last local body polls were held in 2018 during Governor’s rule, and the term of those elected bodies has long since expired.

The first sign that elections may not be on the cards is the government’s inaction on the recommendations of a three-member panel headed by former High Court Judge Justice Janak Raj Kotwal, which submitted its report earlier this year. “The cabinet is yet to take a call on the report. It has to decide whether to adopt or reject it,” government sources said.

Compounding the delay, the post of SEC has remained vacant since former IAS officer B.R. Sharma completed his term. Without a SEC in place, revision of electoral rolls, the first step in the election process,cannot begin. The appointment of the SEC is made by the Lieutenant Governor on the recommendation of a committee comprising the Chief Minister and the Leader of Opposition.

Former Panchayat representatives say the delay is impacting grassroots development. “The government should hold elections so that we don’t lose crores in grants tied to Panchayati Raj Institutions. Implementation of plans at Panchayat level has already been hit due to the absence of PRIs,” said a former Block Development Council chairman.

The Centre, meanwhile, has been pressing for early elections. A report tabled in Parliament in July revealed that the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj had advised J&K in December 2024 to take steps to hold Panchayat polls “at the earliest.” (inputs from KNO)

VoM News Desk

VoM News is an online web portal in jammu Kashmir offers regional, National & global news.