Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 30: The Election Commission will tomorrow publish final electoral rolls for all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in Jammu and Kashmir even though fate of the elections hangs in balance following upcoming takeover of reign of affairs of the State by the PDP-BJP coalition Government, which hadn’t even initiated the process of elections to Municipalities during its previous stint of 10 months.
Governor NN Vohra had set the process in motion for holding the Municipal elections, which have been pending for last over six years, in the first week of May and accordingly asked Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Shantmanu to complete all formalities.
Shantmanu told the Excelsior that all formalities for holding the elections have been completed. The publication of electoral rolls was the last requirement, which will be completed tomorrow, the last date for doing so after which “the Government can ask us to announce the election schedule anytime”.
“The Electoral Rolls of all 78 Municipalities have been finalized and they will be published tomorrow,” Shantmanu said, adding that publication of final electoral rolls is the last requirement for holding the ULB polls, which has been completed as per the deadline fixed by the Governor.
However, according to official sources, the Governor has decided to leave the issue of holding Municipal elections to the new PDP-BJP Government, which was likely to be formed in the next few days after both parties having staked claim to form the Government before the Governor and the latter accepting it in view of numbers with the two parties.
Sources said number of the voters in 78 Municipalities has gone up to around 20 lakh after updation of electoral rolls including addition, deletion and corrections etc in the past fortnight, which was undertaken by the Election Commission under the jurisdiction of Municipalities.
The Governor had even amended Jammu and Kashmir Municipalities Act using the Legislature powers vested with him to facilitate use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in the Municipal elections as the previous Act provided for use of ballot papers only.
However, with likely change of the Government anytime now, which would end the Governor’s rule, uncertainty has once again gripped the Municipal elections, which were pending for the past six years, resulting into loss of Central grants worth hundreds of crores.
During 2015-16 alone, Jammu and Kashmir has lost Rs 169 crores worth grant in the absence of elected Urban Local Bodies.
Sources said it would now depend on the new Government whether it asks the Election Commission to go ahead with the elections immediately after takeover or wait.
“If the elections are not held in May, extreme summer would set down in Jammu, which would be followed by start of annual Shri Amarnath ji yatra from July 2 that would make entire police force and para-military personnel busy in security of the yatris. Further, the new Government had to hold the Assembly session in May-June as it has to get full budget passed before June 30 since Governor NN Vohra has taken Vote-on-Account till June 30 only,” sources said.
There are a total of 78 Municipalities in Jammu and Kashmir including two Corporations (Jammu and Srinagar), six Councils (Kathua, Udhampur and Poonch in Jammu region and Anantnag, Sopore and Baramulla in Kashmir region). Rest 70 were the Municipal Committees.
Elections to the ULBs were last held in January-February 2005 and elected bodies had completed their five years term in March 2010. Since then, first the NC-Congress coalition Government and then PDP-BJP coalition Government made no efforts to hold elections to them.
It was during the Governor’s Rule that process to hold the elections was speedily set into motion and all arrangements were finalized to hold then in first or second week of May. However, before the Governor could execute the task, his rule was about to come to an end with PDP-BJP reviving their alliance and deciding to form next Government in the State during the next few days. The Governor’s administration has decided to leave the decision on holding elections to the ULBs followed by Panchayats on the new Government.
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