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| Panchayat, ULB polls put on hold until Amarnath Yatra ends | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, May 18: Uncertainty continues to surround the schedule for Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) elections in Jammu and Kashmir, with indications that the polls are likely to be deferred until after the annual Shri Amarnath Yatra.
Although the State Election Commission (SEC) has completed major preparatory steps for conducting the long-awaited local body elections, officials said the authorities are unlikely to announce the electoral schedule either before or during the pilgrimage due to the massive administrative and security arrangements required for the Yatra.
The 57-day Shri Amarnath Yatra is set to commence on July 3 and conclude on August 28, 2026, on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.
Senior officials in the SEC, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it is almost certain that elections to Panchayats and Municipal bodies will be held only after the conclusion of the Yatra.
The SEC has recently completed a comprehensive revision of Panchayat electoral rolls across the Union Territory. The final rolls are scheduled to be published on May 20, marking the completion of a nearly two-month-long exercise.
State Election Commissioner Shantmanu said the revision of Panchayat voter lists has been completed and the final publication of the rolls is expected within the next few days.
According to officials, the number of eligible voters in Panchayats has increased to nearly 72 lakh, up from approximately 69.80 lakh in the previous rolls. The revision process resulted in the addition of around 3.5 lakh new voters, while nearly 1.25 lakh names were deleted, reflecting an overall increase of about 3.2 percent.
For Urban Local Body elections, officials said electoral rolls for municipal bodies will be prepared from the Assembly electoral rolls in accordance with existing legal provisions.
However, another significant factor delaying the elections is the pending implementation of reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in local bodies.
The SEC is still awaiting the Jammu and Kashmir Government’s response to the report submitted by the OBC Commission headed by Justice (Retd) Janak Raj Kotwal.
Sources said the commission submitted its report in February 2025, and its recommendations are essential for determining the extent of OBC reservation in Panchayats and Municipal bodies before elections can be notified. The provision for OBC reservation in local bodies was introduced through legislation enacted by Parliament prior to the formation of the Omar Abdullah-led government in the Union Territory.
At present, reservation in local bodies is available for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women.
Officials said the OBC Commission was constituted by the Lieutenant Governor’s administration to recommend the percentage of reservation to be provided to OBC communities in grassroots democratic institutions.
Jammu and Kashmir has remained without elected Panchayats since January 9, 2024, when the tenure of Panchayats and Block Development Councils (BDCs) came to an end. Municipal bodies had completed their terms earlier, in October-November 2023, while the District Development Councils (DDCs) completed their tenure on February 24, 2026.
With the expiry of all three tiers of Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies, Jammu and Kashmir currently has no elected local governance institutions in place.
During the recent Budget Session of the Legislative Assembly, the government did not provide any timeline for holding Panchayat, Municipal or other local body elections in the Union Territory, further adding to the uncertainty over the restoration of grassroots democracy. |
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