Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 5: After various hiccups, the Election Commission of India today announced elections to four seats of Legislative Council from the quota of Panchayat members. The elections would be held on December 3.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Election Commission would issue notification for holding elections for four seats of MLCs (two each for Jammu and Kashmir divisions) on November 9 setting the process of polls into motion.
The candidates can file their nomination papers from November 9 onward till last date of nominations followed by scrutiny of documents and withdrawal of papers. The polling would be held on December 3.
The election would be held under Representation of People’s Act (RPA), which means that any person eligible for contesting the election of MLA can jump into the fray for four seats of MLCs. However, the candidates of Jammu and Kashmir divisions would contest in their respective division as two seats each have been reserved for each division.
The Sarpanchs and Panchs comprised electoral college for the elections. Each of them would cast two votes in their respective division in separate Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Two candidates each in both the divisions securing highest number of votes would be declared as winners, sources said.
This was after nearly four decades that vacancies in the Legislative Council from Panchayat members’ quota were being filled in the Upper House. The last time the election for four seats of MLCs from Panchayat quota was held in 1974. Since then complete Panchayat elections were held only last year.
Out of 36 seats in the Upper House, six were lying vacant at present including four from Panchayat and two from Urban Local Bodies quota. The ULB quota seats were filled in 2005 but as the elections to the Municipalities were not held in 2010 as scheduled, the seats have fallen vacant.
Election of four MLCs from Panchayat quota would take strength of the Legislative Council to 34.
The Election Department has already published revised electoral rolls for the elections to four seats of the Council from Panchayat quota. Total number of voters stood at 33,540 in the State. Voters in Jammu division included 15,628 (13,678 Panches and 1950 Sarpanchs) while electorates in Kashmir division were 17,912 (15,767 Panchs and 2145 Sarpanchs).
The recognized political parties can field a maximum of four candidates, two each for Jammu and Kashmir province seats while Independent candidates can also jump the fray to test their luck.
A total of 286 polling stations would be set up for the election in 143 blocks of the State i.e. each block would have two polling stations each. The polling stations would be located in a single building with separate Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Every Sarpanch and Panch would cast his vote twice in separate EVMs-one each for two candidates.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel