J&K Block Development Council Polls On October 24

In a major push to emancipate new grassroots-level leadership in Jammu & Kashmir, the government on September 29 announced the polls for the Block Development Councils (BDCs) on October 24 across the State.

“Every District Development Board will have these elected BDC chairpersons as members, besides MLAs and MPs. At the district level, these Chairpersons have an important role in the development work of the district under the Panchayat Raj Act 1989 and rules of 1996,” said J&K Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Shailendra Kumar.
The much-awaited elections will see 26,629 elected Panchs and Sarpanchs elect 310 Block Development Chairpersons in the first phase. This will be followed by-polls for 22 District Level Chairpersons for the District Development Boards. The results will be declared on the same day.

“Whenever any candidate or political party approaches us for facilitating a level playing field, we are here to facilitate it,” Mr. Kumar said. Panchayat elections were held in J&K in November 2018 and were boycotted by the two main regional parties — the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party — over the issue of Articles 370 and 35A. The elections assume significance with all the top leaders of the regional party remaining under detention after the August 5 decision to revoke J&K’s special status.