Jammu Tawi, Mar 29: The exercise for the Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) elections in the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has finally been started as ballot boxes have been sent to all the twenty (20) districts of this UT.
Apart from this, the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are also being readied for the upcoming ULBs elections in J&K.
It is now certain that the Panchayat elections in the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) will held with ballot boxes as thirty thousand (30,000) ballot boxes have already been sent to the different districts of this UT, while the remaining will be sent soon as per the requirement.
However, the elections for the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) will be held by Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) as were held last time.
“There are thirty three thousand (33,000) panchayats in the J&K UT and 30,000 ballot boxes have already been sent to different districts,” official sources said, while adding, “the elections for the ULBs will be held through EVMs”.
The Assembly and Parliamentary elections are held through EVMs and why the Panchayat elections in J&K will again be held through ballot boxes is still a million dollar question.
Sources further said that the elections for the much awaited panchayats and the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) are most likely to be held in September or October this year as the weather in both Jammu and Kashmir regions is suitable for holding these elections for putting in place the grass roots level democracy.
It is pertinent to mention here that the last panchayat elections in J&K were also held through ballot boxes and now also in the upcoming elections the people will have to vote through ballot box.
It may be mentioned that the term of ULBs expired around 2 years back, while the term of Block Development Councils (BDCs) also expired around 2 years back. The term of Panchs and Sarpanchs also expired in 2024.
The three-tier grass roots level democracy in the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) expired on February 24th after the term of all the 278 District Development Council (DDC) members, including twenty (20) Chairmen, expired.
