Chairpersons to be elected on 310 BDCs out of 316
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 25: In a significant decision, the Election Authority for Panchayati Raj Act today announced that elections to the Block Development Councils (BDCs) will be held on party basis on 310 BDCs from out of a total of 316 in the State as it published the final Electoral College for the polls, which were likely to be held by the end of October.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Jammu and Kashmir, Shailendra Kumar, who happens to be the Election Authority for the BDC elections under the Panchayati Raj Act, told the Excelsior that the elections will be held for 310 BDCs out of a total of 316.
“In four BDCs reserved for women, there were no women candidates (Sarpanchs and Panchs) to contest the election for the post of BDC chairpersons while in two other BDCs, there were no Panchayat members,” Kumar said.
All the six BDCs where elections will not be held fall in Kashmir valley.
Kumar said the Electoral College for the BDC elections has been published.
Meanwhile, in major political development, the Election Authority has announced that the BDC elections will be held on party basis.
It may be mentioned here that the Panchayat elections were held on non-party basis while Municipal polls were held on party basis in the State in October-December last year.
Following decision to hold the BDC elections on party basis, the Election Authority has notified reserved symbols for seven national and three State parties.
The decision assumed significance as several prominent leaders of National Conference, People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Congress, CPM, Nationalist Panthers Party etc remained under house arrest since August 5 when the Central Government had revoked special Constitutional provisions of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the State into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
“As final Electoral College for the BDC elections has been published, the Election Authority could announce schedule of the elections anytime now,” sources said, adding the elections might be completed before Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh become Union Territories on October 31.
Seven national political parties for whom the symbols have been reserved in the BDC elections are Indian National Congress (Hand), Bharatiya Janata Party (Lotus), All India Trinamool Congress (Flowers & Grass), Bahujan Samaj Party (Elephant), Communist Party of India (Ears of Corn and Sickle, Hammer, Sickle & Star)), Communist Party of India-Marxist ((Hammer) and Nationalist Congress Party (Clock).
Symbols reserved for three recognized State political parties are National Conference (Plough), Jammu and Kashmir Nationalist Panthers Party (bicycle) and People’s Democratic Party (Ink & Pot).
It may be mentioned here that National Conference and PDP had boycotted Panchayat and Municipal elections in the State last year.
The political parties which aren’t recognized have to field their candidates for the posts of BDC chairpersons as Independent nominees.
The Government has already reserved 33 percent seats for women in the Block Development Councils. Besides, reservation has also been given to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Out of 33 percent reservation given to women, some BDCs have been reserved for SC and ST women.
Only Sarpanchs and Panchs will form the Electoral College for the elections to BDC chairpersons.
This is for the first time that elections to the BDCs are being held in Jammu and Kashmir in past several years, which will form second tier of the Panchayats.
After the BDC polls, the Government has already announced that it proposed to form third tier of the Panchayats by holding elections to the District Planning and Development Boards.
In November 2012, then National Conference-Congress Government headed by Omar Abdullah had announced elections to 143 BDCs, which existed then. Panchayat elections by then Government were held in May-June 2011.
However, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad had objected to conduct of the BDC elections without reservations after which then State Government had postponed the elections, which were never held as the Panchayats completed their term in 2016.
The PDP-BJP Government in 2016 headed by Mehbooba Mufti had refused to hold the Panchayat polls, which were finally held under the Governor’s Rule in October-December 2018 along with Urban Local Bodies polls.
Meanwhile, All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Conference chairman, Anil Kumar Sharma has welcomed the Government decision to hold the BDC elections on party-basis.
Sharma said the decision will go long-way in strengthening Panchayati Raj System in the State.
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