Election Authorities Announce Election Dates in Jammu Kashmir

The Supreme Court has postponed the Article 35A row hearing to next year keeping in mind that Jammu Kashmir is to go to elections soon.

The dates of the elections have been announced on Friday by the  Jammu and Kashmir State Administrative Council (SAC), headed by Governor Satya Pal Malik.

The elections to municipal bodies will be held in October this year, followed by panchayat polls.

The municipal polls will be conducted in four phases and polling will be held between October 1 and 5. Panchayat elections will be conducted in eight phases between November 8 and December 4.

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Governor Satya Pal Malik after holding extensive deliberations on various aspects and receiving feedback from the departments of Housing & Urban Development, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and Home department decided to “commence the formal process for conducting Municipal Body and Panchayat elections in the state”.

Panchayat polls have not been held in the state since 2011.

The state chief electoral officer has been directed by the SAC to fix the polling schedule keeping in view security, operational and polling requirements.

In an attempt to reduce the risks that might occur during the polls, the SAC also decided to give a month’s extra remuneration and insurance cover to the staff involved in the conduct of the elections.

“Voter education will be given special focus. For this purpose, the government will launch a sustained campaign to sensitise the voters about the importance of these elections in the socio-economic development at the grassroots level,” an official spokesperson of the State Administrative Council said.