BJP's New Tensions

Though the elections for the local bodies and Panchayats were considered a hugely partial exercise, at least in Kashmir, the outcome of the just concluded BDC polls indicated the BJP’s slide in Jammu and Kashmir politics, reported Muhammad Younis

- Muhammad Younis

There are two striking facets to the elections of the Block Development Councils (BDC) that took place in absence of the major stakeholders of the Jammu and Kashmir’s politics. These councils are the mandatory second- tier to the Panchayati Raj System of which the Panchayat is the basic unit. It still would require the constitution of District Development Councils as the final-tier of the system.

First, the governor’s administration failed to ensure the participation of all the voters (Panchs and Sarpanchs) despite the fact that they have been living in protection of the police ever since a sham exercise elected them to their position in 2018 fall. Second, the BJP that had literally a clean chessboard – the only opposition being the Udhampur based National Panthers’ Party (NPP), could not had a clean sweep even in Jammu.

Jammu and Kashmir has 316 BDCs. In six, elections were not held, and at three BDCs, the nominations were found invalid. Besides, at 27 BDCs, the chairmen were elected unopposed. This left 280 to go to polls on October 24, the results of which were declared the same evening. Election was held for 148 Councils in Jammu, 128 in Kashmir and 31 in Ladakh. A total of 26629 Sarpanchs and Panchs – 8313 of them women – comprised the election’s electoral college and 1065 candidates were in the fray. The voters, in Kashmir, were driven from their highly secured hotels in buses by the government to their respective polling stations for voting.