Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 24: In a major setback to Congress, the Alliance partner of National Conference, and Panchayats, the Government has put off elections to the Block Development Councils (BDCs), the second-tier of Panchayats for an indefinite period and they were now unlikely to be held during the present regime.
After saying no to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) elections in middle of this year, the Government had assured that it would hold BDC elections either by the end of 2013 or start of 2014.
Official sources told the Excelsior that there would be no elections to the BDCs, which were abandoned midway in the month of October 2012 following opposition to them by the Congress and some other political parties on the ground that the elections without reservations had no meaning. Since then, the elections had been lingering on notwithstanding the fact that half of the term of the Panchayats was about to expire.
With Lok Sabha and Assembly elections due to be held next year, there would be no time left either for the State Government or before the Election Commission to conduct the elections.
Sources confirmed that the elections to 143 BDCs have been put off indefinitely like the ULBs. The Government had in July this year announced that there would be no elections to the ULBs but it would explore the possibility of holding the BDC elections by the end of 2013 or start of 2014.
“This possibility has also been completely ruled out now,’’ they said.
The Panchayat elections in the State were held from April to June in 2011 after a gap of nearly 37 years. The Government had promised that the elections to BDCs would be held within three months of the Panchayat elections. Finally, the Government had announced elections to 143 BDCs across the State to be elected by 33,500 Sarpanchs and Panchs for November 7, 2012 and a notification had also been issued in first week of October for the purpose.
However, the Congress, the main coalition partner of National Conference, and some other political parties had objected to holding of BDC elections without reservations to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, women and SC women. The Government had then announced cancellation of the elections even after setting the electoral process into motion.
Though officially, the Government has not given any reasons for putting off the elections for an indefinite period, sources said the differences over implementation of major provisions of 73rd amendment of the Constitution of India between National Conference and Congress so far has led to delay in the elections and their cancellation.
“Even if the Government now wants to hold elections to the BDCs, it would not be in a position to get time for them as the Election Commission would be busy in holding Lok Sabha elections in first half and Assembly elections in second half of the next year,’’ sources said. By the end of this year, the Panchayats, which had to elect the BDC chairpersons would complete two and a half years of their five years term.
Sources said till the National Conference and Congress reach an understanding on including major provisions of 73rd amendment of the Constitution of India in the State Panchayati Raj Act followed by an amendment in the Act by the Legislature, the BDC elections can’t be held. This process was unlikely to be completed this year.
AICC (I) general secretary, Incharge Jammu and Kashmir Ambika Soni in a party convention here on August 31 had given two months time frame to the Government to incorporate provisions of 73rd amendment of the Constitution of India in the State Panchayati Raj Act. The provisions had to be agreed upon by both the parties in the Co-ordination Commission.
Ambika Soni’s two months deadline has since expired but there was little breakthrough in incorporating the 73rd amendment provisions in the State Panchayati Raj Act, sources said attributing this as one of the major factors responsible for delay in the BDC elections.
“Unless the Panchayati Raj Act was amended, there can be no reservation in the BDC elections. The Act would be amended only when the Co-ordination Committee agreed on the provisions to be incorporated in the Act from the 73rd amendment,’’ sources said.
Worthwhile to mention here that only after BDC elections were held, which would be second tier of the Panchayats, that the process for third tier—the elections to District Development and Planning Boards (DDPBs) could be set into motion. Going by the indications, the present Panchayats are unlikely to see the elections BDCs and DDPBs at least for the next over a year.
The Government has already ruled out holding elections to the Urban Local Bodies, which were due since March 2010. It was after the gap of 26 years that the ULB elections were held in the State, the last elections having been held in 1979. The ULBs had completed their five years term in March 2010. However, since then, the Government continued to delay elections on one pretext to other and had in middle of this year decided that it was not possible to hold elections to the ULBs.
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