The authorities are selectively clubbing the highly volatile constituencies in the Kashmir Valley with peaceful ones from the Jammu region and the border districts to finalise the multi-phase panchayat and urban local bodies polls in J&K.
A top official told The Hindu that the situation in the State warranted “a calibrated” approach to hold the much-awaited polls for urban local bodies and panchayats, as all major regional parties still find it hard to hold any public activity in the Kashmir Valley, especially in south Kashmir.
“We are in the process of identifying both highly volatile and peaceful constituencies. Any election will be held in peaceful constituencies in the first phases with a few volatile constituencies along with it. The only way to build a tempo for the polls would be to start from a peaceful note,” said the official.
Both the civil administration and the security agencies have identified the border districts in the Kashmir Valley like Karnah, Uri and Gurez as “peaceful constituencies” for the polls. “Such constituencies will be the first to go to the polls in the multi-phase,” said another official.
Last held in 2011 after a gap of four decades, fresh panchayats polls were supposed to be held in 2015. However, these elections were deferred on many occasions due to growing militancy and street protests in Kashmir. The latest bid to hold elections was put off in February this year when the most political parties in the State warned against it in due to growing civilian casualties in street protests.
Sources said the security agencies, during the recent meetings with Governor N.N. Vohra, had flagged the issue of “possibility of largescale violence in parts of the Kashmir Valley.”
Sources said no dates have been finalised as Mr. Vohra and the Centre will take a final call on whether to hold urban local bodies or panchayat polls first. Many security agencies are pushing for winter to start off the elections. Most regional parties are supporting the idea of holding a non-party basis polls for panchayats like 2011.
Mr. Vohra set up a state-level committee (SLC) this week tasked with filing a ground situation report and logistical requirements by July 27. A report of security situation will be prepared by August 10.
