Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 20: Clearing last hurdle for holding much delayed Panchayat election in Jammu and Kashmir, the State Government has formally written to the State Election Commission to hold Panchayat polls in the State after completing all requisite formalities like publication of electoral rolls, notification of reserved Wards, polling stations, deployment of staff etc.
Top official sources confirmed to the Excelsior that the Rural Development Department, which is the Nodal Department for Panchayat elections, has sent a formal official letter to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Shaleen Kabra, who had recently been designated as the State Election Commissioner for Panchayat elections through an Ordinance, to complete all formalities for holding the elections to Panchayats, which have been pending for last about one and half years.
“This (the submission of written letter) was the last major requirement of the State Election Commission for going ahead with the elections by completing requisite formalities, including notification of Panchayat Wards with those reserved for women, Scheduled Castes and other communities, publication of electoral rolls, procurement of ballot boxes on loan from Himachal Pradesh, deployment of election duty staff etc,” sources said.
They added that majority of these formalities have already been completed or were in the process of completion within a week after which the State Election Commission could take a call on election dates and phases in consultations with the Government as many areas in the State in all three regions would become snowbound and it wouldn’t be possible to hold elections in the hilly areas.
According to sources, the Government wants the State Election Commission to be ready with all formalities so that the elections can be held shortly in the State.
The Government, according to sources, has also formally conveyed its decision that elections to the Panchayats will be held on non-party basis, which means that every candidate contesting the election for Panch segment will be treated as an Independent and allotted a symbol accordingly.
“The State Election Commission would now publish the ballot papers without the symbols of registered parties as the Government has made it clear that the elections would be held on non-party basis,” they said.
Sources said the decision to hold Panchayat elections on non-party basis has also been influenced by security considerations as it would save candidates of particular political parties from being targeted by the militants as even the candidates with political affiliations will be treated as Independents.
However, some Opposition leaders were of the view that ruling PDP-BJP alliance didn’t want to face the electorates in view of their “poor governances’ and it was in this context that they have opted to hold Panchayat elections on non-party basis.
Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh Election Department has agreed to supply ballot boxes to J&K Election Commission on loan for holding Panchayat elections. The ballot boxes would start reaching Jammu, the winter capital of the State, in the next few days. Thereafter, they would be dispatched to the district headquarters. The ballot papers would be printed after names of candidates and their symbols are finalized.
Excelsior had exclusively reported that the J&K Government would be holding Panchayat elections with obsolete and outdated technology of using ballot boxes and ballot papers, which has been shunned by almost all the State Governments after switching over to the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in all formats of elections.
However, since the State Government has not amended the Panchayati Raj Act, it has to use the old technology of using ballot boxes for conducting Panchayat elections.
Number of the Panchayats, where elections will be held, have gone up to 4500 as compared to 4166 in 2011. Last elections to Panchayats were held in 2011 and the elected Panchayats had completed their term in June 2016. Presently, there were no elected Panchayats.
Out of 334 newly carved out Panchayats, 165 have been increased in Jammu division and 169 in Kashmir division. With this number of Panchayats in Jammu division has increased to 2121 as compared to 1956 in 2011. Number of the Panchayats has gone up to 2379 in Kashmir division as against 2210.
Panchayats of Ladakh region are included in Kashmir division.
As per the new arrangement, the people will only elect Panches as there will be no direct election of Sarpanches, like 2011. Sarpanch will be elected by Panches of that Panchayat, sources said, adding that the Government had decided to do away with the process of direct election of Sarpanches.
Sources said the Election Department has also finalized voter lists for the Panchayat elections. Number of the electorates for Panchayat elections has come out at around 57 lakh after extensive exercise undertaken by the Election Department for updating electoral rolls.
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