The stage appears set for the first grassroots elections in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. Newly appointed state election commissioner BR Sharma said that panchayat polls are likely to be held in October-November this year as the term of the existing panchayat ends on January 9, 2024. Local body elections are an important barometer of political support and form the foundation of any electoral democracy. But they assume additional importance in Jammu & Kashmir, which has undergone tectonic changes since the last time village body polls were held, with its bifurcation and loss of its special status and statehood. On the one side, the government argues that terrorism has dipped and investments are flowing in; but on the other, Valley-based political parties say that democratic rights have been suppressed and regular terror strikes against civilians show that militancy may have been emboldened in recent years.
Against this backdrop, local body elections are an important step forward for the restive region’s democratic processes. When they are held, the panchayat polls will be the first electoral exercise after a contentious delimitation process increased the number of assembly seats in the Hindu-majority Jammu region by six and the Muslim-majority Kashmir by one. It will give an opportunity to political parties to sort out their stances and test their popularity among the people. And it’ll allow the ordinary residents of the state a voice in matters of their own governance, not only by allowing them to choose their local representatives, but also by paving the way for assembly elections in the Union Territory for the first time in nearly a decade.
