<p>Srinagar: With an elected government in place in Jammu and Kashmir after more than six years, focus has turned on conducting panchayat elections in the Union Territory which are due since the last one year.</p><p>Political parties are gearing up for the grass root level polls, which are likely to be held in April and May next year. The preparations for the upcoming Panchayat elections are in full swing with national parties - BJP and Congress – and local parties including the ruling National Conference and the Opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) forming strategies to emerge as winners.</p><p>The NC and PDP stayed away from the last Panchayat elections held in 2018. They had made their participation conditional that time seeking guarantee from New Delhi to “take effective steps to protect Article 35 A in and outside the court.”</p><p>In 2018, separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani had asked people to stay away from the panchayat elections while Hizbul Mujahideen militant outfit had threatened to use acid against those contesting these elections.</p><p>However, despite threats and boycott calls, the elections proceeded, and the influence of political parties was evident even though the elections were officially apolitical. The elections were conducted in nine phases, with Jammu region recording an impressive voter turnout of 83.5 per cent, while Kashmir lagged behind at 44.4 per cent.</p>.Jammu and Kashmir: Fuel stations, schools take lead in curbing underage driving.<p>This time around, the political dynamics have shifted significantly. The NC is expected to win a majority of the panchayats seats in Kashmir, while the BJP is being considered a strong contender in the Jammu region based on the recent assembly poll results. While the NC won 35 out of 47 seats in Kashmir, the BJP emerged victorious in 29 out of 43 seats in Jammu.</p><p>To outsmart each other, the NC leadership is actively engaging with voters in both Jammu and Kashmir while the BJP is prioritizing an aggressive membership campaign across the UT.</p><p>On the other hand, Congress and PDP are focusing on introspection and organizational restructuring post Assembly poll debacle.</p><p>With over 65 lakh voters eligible to participate, 4,291 panchayats and 33,597 panch seats will be contested. The region-wise distribution of Panchayats underscores the administrative scale of the elections.</p><p>The State Election Commission is revising the voter list for 2025. Special camps are scheduled on November 23-24, November 30, and December 1 to address additions, deletions, and corrections. The final voter list will be published on January 6, 2025.</p>
<p>Srinagar: With an elected government in place in Jammu and Kashmir after more than six years, focus has turned on conducting panchayat elections in the Union Territory which are due since the last one year.</p><p>Political parties are gearing up for the grass root level polls, which are likely to be held in April and May next year. The preparations for the upcoming Panchayat elections are in full swing with national parties - BJP and Congress – and local parties including the ruling National Conference and the Opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) forming strategies to emerge as winners.</p><p>The NC and PDP stayed away from the last Panchayat elections held in 2018. They had made their participation conditional that time seeking guarantee from New Delhi to “take effective steps to protect Article 35 A in and outside the court.”</p><p>In 2018, separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani had asked people to stay away from the panchayat elections while Hizbul Mujahideen militant outfit had threatened to use acid against those contesting these elections.</p><p>However, despite threats and boycott calls, the elections proceeded, and the influence of political parties was evident even though the elections were officially apolitical. The elections were conducted in nine phases, with Jammu region recording an impressive voter turnout of 83.5 per cent, while Kashmir lagged behind at 44.4 per cent.</p>.Jammu and Kashmir: Fuel stations, schools take lead in curbing underage driving.<p>This time around, the political dynamics have shifted significantly. The NC is expected to win a majority of the panchayats seats in Kashmir, while the BJP is being considered a strong contender in the Jammu region based on the recent assembly poll results. While the NC won 35 out of 47 seats in Kashmir, the BJP emerged victorious in 29 out of 43 seats in Jammu.</p><p>To outsmart each other, the NC leadership is actively engaging with voters in both Jammu and Kashmir while the BJP is prioritizing an aggressive membership campaign across the UT.</p><p>On the other hand, Congress and PDP are focusing on introspection and organizational restructuring post Assembly poll debacle.</p><p>With over 65 lakh voters eligible to participate, 4,291 panchayats and 33,597 panch seats will be contested. The region-wise distribution of Panchayats underscores the administrative scale of the elections.</p><p>The State Election Commission is revising the voter list for 2025. Special camps are scheduled on November 23-24, November 30, and December 1 to address additions, deletions, and corrections. The final voter list will be published on January 6, 2025.</p>