Political parties can’t call polls a sham because they are boycotting: J&K CEO Shailendra Kumar

There have been killings of civilians in South Kashmir over the last few days. Does that pose a challenge?

We will address it appropriately. By voting day, we are confident that there will be no problem in getting voters to the polling station. We are in touch with security officials and the Home department. As of now, no alarm has been sounded to us. I have been informed that adequate security personnel have been deployed.

There are a lot of vacant seats of panches and sarpanches in Kashmir. Shouldn’t those have been filled up before the BDC elections are conducted?

The State Election Commission is not for Kashmir division or for a particular district. In Ladakh division, 99 per cent seats are full, in Jammu division, almost 98 per cent. In Kashmir division, the vacancy in four districts is large, but not so in districts such as Kupwara, Bandipora and Baramulla. Wherever there are vacant positions, we will try our best to fill those within a year and then conduct BDC elections there
if required.

What is the significance of these elections. Why is it important to hold them?

The panches and sarpanches form the first tier of rural local bodies. The second tier is the Block Development Council, for which panches and sarpanches of a particular block elect their chairman. These chairmen of blocks elect the chairmen of the District Development Boards (DDB). It’s the DDB that takes decisions on how to channelise resources in a district and decide which sector should be given priority. Right now, in the absence of the BDC, the top-most tier is vacant and that is not good for development of the region.

With mainstream Valley parties boycotting the elections, many say that it will only end up benefiting the BJP.

Every party was given a chance to participate. If certain parties have opted not to participate, it is their choice. This institution is for facilitating elections on political lines, through political parties. Political parties can’t claim that since we are boycotting elections, these elections are a sham. There are only about 27 block councils out of 310 where candidates have been elected unopposed.

There are reports that a few sarpanches are among those arrested. Will they be allowed to vote?

Any political party or candidate can approach us to facilitate their candidature.

When are DDB elections going to take place?

Once BDC elections take place, the DDBs will be constituted.