J&K Block Development Council Polls Likely To Be Held Next Month In First Test Of 'Normalcy'

The schedule of the polls to 316 Block Development Councils in Jammu and Kashmir will be announced in a day or two. These elections will be seen as the first test of the government’s claim of normalcy in Kashmir Valley. Block Development Council (BDC) elections will likely be conducted in Jammu and Kashmir next month. The polls will be completed before the state is formally declared a Union Territory on October 31.

The schedule of the polls will be announced in a day or two, according to a report by The Hindu. Several other reports have, however, said that the elections are likely to be held within this month. These elections will be seen as the first test of the government’s claim of normalcy in Kashmir. It will also test the popularity of the Modi government’s decision to scrap J&K’s special status.

However, given that the leader and ground-level workers of the region’s major political parties, including the National Conference and the People’s Democratic Party, are being held in detention participation in the polls remains to be seen. The report in The Hindu quoted senior government officials as saying that preparations have been made for the polls “including the preparation of electoral rolls” as it was expected to follow the panchayat polls.

voters