Post the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir, By-elections for vacant seats of Panchayats over all 20 districts in the Union Territory of J&K will be held on party basis, unlike the Panchayat polls in November-December 2018 which were held on non-party basis.

 

 

The posts were lying vacant since November 2018 when the elections to the local bodies were held. Out of Kashmir’s 20,093 panch and sarpanch seats, more than 12,500 seats have remained vacant since then. Most of the seats that will go to polls are in the Valley.

 

 

In Kashmir, elections to 887 vacant Panchayat halqas and 11457 vacant Panch constituencies of 128 blocks whereas in Jammu, 1011 vacant Panchayat halqas and 11639 vacant Panch constituencies of 274 blocks would be conducted.

 

 

 

 Chief Electoral Officer J&K Shailendra Kumar addressing a Press conference

 

 

The by-elections will be held in eight phases beginning March 5 and concluding March 20. In Jammu division, the polls process will be over in first four phases while it will go on in all eight phases in Kashmir

 

 

With the announcement, the provisions of Model Code of Conduct have come into force with immediate effect. In this regard, control rooms have been established in all the districts for the prompt action of any complaint.

 

 

 

The by-elections were awaited as number of seats were left vacant in 2018 Panchayat elections especially in the Kashmir valley in the absence of candidates followed by election of around 280 Chairpersons of Block Development Councils from amongst the Sarpanchs and Panchs.

 

 

 

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Reservation of Sarpanch and Panch constituencies will remain the same like the Panchayat elections held in November-December 2018. The Sarpanch and Panch constituencies have been reserved for SCs, STs and women as per provisions of the Panchayati Raj Act and rules governing the elections.

 

 

However, the Sarpanchs and Panchs in these elections will not get full five year term but only remaining period of five years of the Panchayats. The elections will be conducted through ballot boxes.

 

 

The Kashmiri migrants will vote through ‘Migrant Postal Ballot’ like 2018 Panchayat elections.

 

In Kashmir,the elections would be held for 25 vacant Panchayat Halqas and 768 vacant Panch Constituencies of 21 blocks of Kupwara district, 148 vacant Panchayat Halqas and 2163 vacant Panch Constituencies of 26 blocks of Baramulla district, 45 vacant Panchayat Halqas and 603 vacant Panch Constituencies of 9 blocks of Bandipora district, 41 vacant Panchayat Halqas and 685 vacant Panch Constituencies of 7 blocks of Ganderbal district, 9 vacant Panchayat Halqas and 155 vacant Panch Constituencies of 4 blocks of Srinagar district, 157 vacant Panchayat Halqas and 1941 vacant Panch Constituencies of 17 blocks of Budgam district, 151 vacant Panchayat Halqas and 1437 vacant Panch Constituencies of 11 blocks of Pulwama district, 73 vacant Panchayat Halqas and 742 vacant Panch Constituencies of 9 blocks of Shopian district, 103 vacant Panchayat Halqas and 968 vacant Panch Constituencies of 8 blocks of Ganderbal district, vacant Panchayat Halqas and 685 vacant Panch Constituencies of 7 blocks of Kulgam district and 135 vacant Panchayat Halqas and 1995 vacant Panch Constituencies of 16 blocks of Anantnag district

 

 

 

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