Srinagar:Shrugging off the decision of Jammu and Kashmir’s two major parties, the National Conference and the Peoples’ Democratic Party, to stay away from the coming rural and urban bodies’ elections, the state government said Monday that the democratic exercise will be held as per schedule. “Panchayat polls are on... (urban) local bodies elections are on. A decision was taken in July. The voter list drafts for both these have been printed. It is already final. The delimitation reservation of the constituencies has been done,” state chief secretary B.V.R. Subrahmanyam told reporters during a visit to south Kashmir.
He added: “In few days’ time formal notifications will be issued. It is done by the CEO (chief electoral officer), not us. One month after that the panchayat elections will be held... around November 5. The CEO will notify dates for that too. We are just waiting... Within one week you will see the entire process.”
Asked about the security scenario in which the state government plans to hold these elections, former IPS officer and adviser to governor K. Vijay Kumar, who was accompanying the chief secretary, said: “That’s also the part of the overall plan and on the basis of requirements being reviewed. It will be a feasible plan based on dynamics.”
