Centre may hold civic polls in J&K under Guv’s Rule

SRINAGAR: After the fall of the Jammu and Kashmir government in June, the Centre is planning to hold urban local body and panchayat polls with the state still under governor’s rule, people familiar with the plan said on the condition of anonymity.

The elections, scheduled to be held in January, were deferred after the Peoples Democratic Party (Pdp)-bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition government led by Mehbooba Mufti told the Centre that the situation was not conducive for the polls.

The previous panchayat polls in the state were held in 2011; urban local body elections have not been held for eight years.

During his visit to Srinagar to review security and governance in the state, Union home minister Rajnath Singh had hinted as much when he spoke about strengthening the grassroots institutions. A notification on the polls may be issued soon after the culmination of the Amarnath yatra, people cited above said.

“It seems the Centre is now serious in holding these elections and these polls are the first priority over the formation of a new government in the state,” a top official privy to the plan said. “The Centre wants to hold these polls under the governor’s rule.”

The state came under governor NN Vohra’s rule after the BJP pulled out the government, prompting Mufti to resign.

In February, Mufti had called a meeting of all political parties, following which it was conveyed to the Centre that there could be serious law and order problems in the Valley, especially in south Kashmir, if elections were held. Since then, there has been no official word about these elections.

In the previous panchayat polls in 2011, more than 4,145 sarpanches and 29,000 panches were elected and the voter turnout was around 80%. People who partici-