J&K likely to defer municipal polls

The Jammu and Kashmir government is likely to postpone the municipal elections scheduled for October to January 2019, according to sources, after two major political parties announced their decision to boycott the polls.

The final decision on deferring the municipal elections is expected to be taken at a meeting of the State Administrative Council (SAC), chaired by Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday.

The National Conference (NC) was the first major party to announce its boycott of the municipal and panchayat elections. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) subsequently announced on Monday that it too would stay away from the electoral process.

The possibility of postponing the municipal polls comes against the backdrop of the political uncertainty created by the absence of the two major regional parties from the contest. Their participation had been considered important for ensuring wider political representation in the elections.

An official familiar with the matter said there was no proposal at present to alter the schedule for the panchayat elections, which are slated to be held in November and December.

"The schedule already announced for the panchayat polls will remain unchanged," the official said.

The Congress, meanwhile, was expected to announce its position on participation in the local body elections at a press conference in Srinagar later on Wednesday.

The municipal and panchayat elections are significant for restoring and strengthening grassroots-level elected institutions in Jammu and Kashmir. Any change in the municipal schedule could therefore have implications for the broader political process in the state.