Why panchayat polls in J&K might not happen anytime soon
Why panchayat polls in J&K might not happen anytime shortly While the poll body states all the formalities have been completed from its end, the administration states the election will be held at an "appropriate time".
Why panchayat polls in J&K might not happen anytime shortly While the poll body states all the formalities have been completed from its end, the administration states the election will be held at an "appropriate time".
Article outline
- What happened
- What comes next
- The bottom line
Key points
- Until 2019, panchayat elections in the region were conducted under the J&K Panchayati Raj Act.
- At present, J&K is without any elected local body as all the three tiers of the Panchayati Raj institutions have become non-existent in the UT.
- The reason: The J&K administration is yet to take a decision on the problem of reservation to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in these grassroots institutions.
At present, J&K is without any elected local body as all the three tiers of the Panchayati Raj institutions have become non-existent in the UT. (File Photo).
It has been two years since the erstwhile local bodies in Jammu & Kashmir completed their tenure but there seems to be no sign of panchayat elections being held any time shortly in the Union Territory.
In practice, the reason: The J&K administration is yet to take a decision on the problem of reservation to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in these grassroots institutions.
Until 2019, panchayat elections in the region were conducted under the J&K Panchayati Raj Act. It did not require an OBC quota. But after its conversion into a Union Territory seven years ago, rules of OBC reservation will apply to J&K as well.
In short, why panchayat polls in J&K might not happen anytime soon is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.
