J&K Panchayat Bypolls full schedule released. Check dates
J&K Panchayat Bypolls: The by-election for as many as 13,000 panchayat seats in Jammu and Kashmir is set to take place next month. This will be the first major political exercise in the region after the government scrapped the special status in August last year. The model code of conduct has come into force in Jammu and Kashmir. The panchayat bypolls in 274 blocks of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will be held for elections of 1,011 sarpanches and 11,639 panches.
J&K Panchayat Bypolls Schedule: Phase, dates
The first phase of polling will be held on March 5, followed by the second phase on March 7, third on March 9, fourth on March 12, fifth on March 14, sixth on March 16, seventh on March 18 and eighth on March 20.
| J&K PANCHAYAT BYPOLL PHASE | DATES |
| PHASE 1 | March 5 |
| PHASE 2 | March 7 |
| PHASE 3 | March 9 |
| PHASE 4 | March 12 |
| PHASE 5 | March 14 |
| PHASE 6 | March 16 |
| PHASE 7 | March 18 |
| PHASE 8 | March 20 |
The Panchayat election was held in November-December, 2018, and 22,214 panches and 3,459 sarpanches were elected in out of 33,592 panch and 4,290 sarpanch constituencies. Further vacancies have accrued on various accounts such as deaths and resignations. Also as a result of polls to block development committee (BDCs) chairpersons in October, 2019, another 307 seats of panch and sarpanch fell vacant.
The panchayat bypolls would be videographed and district panchayat election officers (deputy commissioners) will arrange sufficient numbers of video and digital cameras and teams for the purpose. In order to enable Kashmiri Migrant voters to exercise their franchise through postal ballots, 'Migrant Postal Ballot' scheme was notified for the 2018 panchayat elections.
