J&K local body polls face fresh delay; BJP, PDP accuse NC of using statehood as shield

The long-delayed Panchayat and District Development Council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir have triggered a fresh political row, with the State Election Commission (SEC) warning that any further delay could push the polls to 2027. 

The SEC has asked the government to take a clear decision by the end of August if the elections are to be held this year. According to the commission, a decision by the month-end would allow the electoral process to move forward, with voting potentially taking place in October-November.

However, any further delay could push the elections to March-April 2027, as heavy snowfall and harsh winter conditions from December would make conducting polls nearly impossible.

The timing of the elections has also become linked to the restoration of statehood, with senior National Conference leader and party spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq saying the government would respond to the SEC at the “appropriate time”.

Tanvir Sadiq, National Conference chief spokesperson, said, “The report will come at the appropriate time, the way Delhi keeps telling us about the appropriate time for statehood. 

The same way, we will give it to the Election Commission. Jammu and Kashmir has an elected government. It’s a majority government, and the government has many demands from the Centre which have not been fulfilled.

“We were told that delimitation and then statehood would be restored. It is still not done. Statehood is important. Are they waiting for a BJP government to come to power and then give us statehood? The BJP will never come to power in Jammu and Kashmir.”

The BJP has accused the National Conference of using statehood as an excuse to delay the local body elections.

BJP leader Altaf Thakur said, “National Conference has only one excuse, and that is statehood. Is the National Conference stopping the development of Jammu and Kashmir for just one reason of statehood?”

He said the absence of elected Panchayati Raj institutions was affecting development in rural areas, particularly the flow and implementation of funds meant for local bodies.

“The development funds that used to come for Panchayat bodies are not coming because the elections are not happening, and it is because of the National Conference that these elections are not taking place. People in villages and far-flung areas need water supply and electricity. They cannot keep bringing up the statehood issue every time,” Thakur said.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has also demanded that the elections be held without further delay. PDP leader G.H. Hanjura said Panchayat elections were essential for democracy and criticised the government for failing to take a decision despite the SEC indicating that preparations were ready.

“Panchayat elections are very important. They should be held. For any democracy, Panchayat elections are important, but they have not been held for two years. We don’t have DDCs. The National Conference does not want to hold elections,” Hanjura said.

He questioned the government's repeated reference to an “appropriate time” for holding the polls.

“The Election Commission has said that it is all set to hold the elections, but the government has not taken any decision. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said that elections will happen at the appropriate time. When will this appropriate time be? Just as the BJP says the appropriate time to restore statehood, Omar Abdullah says Panchayat elections will be held at the appropriate time. I want these Panchayat elections to be held as soon as possible,” he said.

The terms of several elected local bodies in Jammu and Kashmir have already expired. Panchayats completed their term on January 9, 2024, while the Block Development Councils have also completed their tenure. The municipal bodies ended their terms in October-November 2023.

The five-year term of the DDCs expired on February 24, 2026.

The proposed elections would restore elected institutions at the grassroots level after a prolonged gap. Jammu and Kashmir had earlier become the first region to simultaneously establish elected bodies at all three levels of the Panchayati Raj system.

With the SEC's August deadline approaching, the Omar Abdullah government now faces a crucial decision. Whether the long-pending Panchayat and DDC elections are held before winter or pushed into 2027 will depend on the decision taken in the coming days.

The political dispute over the restoration of statehood has added another layer of uncertainty to the already delayed electoral process.