J&K Panchayat polls  to be held in eight phases from March 5

GR News Desk | New Delhi

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Thursday announced the dates for Panchayat elections on 60 percent vacant seats from March 5-19. The polls will be the first major political exercise in the Kashmir valley after the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A.

The polling will be held on nearly 13,000 vacant posts of panch and sarpanch in gram panchayats in eight phases. The previous local elections were largely boycotted in Kashmir and over 12,000 panchayat seats are still lying vacant. In Kashmir, out of 20,093 Panch and Sarpanch seats, only 6,162 Panches and 1,366 Sarpanches were elected.

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In Jammu, 15,800 Panches and 2,289 Sarpanches were elected where 166 seats are lying vacant. In Ladakh, 45 seats are lying vacant while as many as 1,414 Panches and 192 Sarpanches were elected.

Here are the Panchayat poll dates

First notification (1st phase) - 15 February

Last date to file nomination (1st phase) - 22 February

Last of withdrawal (1st phase) - 26 February

Date of polling: March 5,7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20

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No of blocks that will go to polls

Kupwara - 21 out of 24 blocks

Baramulla - 26 blocks

Bandipopra- 9 out of 12 blocks

Srinagar - 4 blocks

Budgam - 17 blocks

Pulwama - 11 blocks

Anantnag -16 blocks

Kistwara -11 blocks.

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