Jammu: The Election Commission in Jammu and Kashmir has sought Rs 6 crore for Panchayat polls as ballot box costs have jumped 30-50% in the last eight years. From 2018 to 2020, the cost of a ballot box was between 1000 and 1200 rupees, which has now increased to 1500 rupees per box.
The union territory needs 40,000 ballot boxes for the Panchayat elections and the Commission is now preparing to rent ballot boxes to overcome this loss.
Discussions are underway with the governments of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Jammu and Kashmir may receive 40,000 ballot boxes from Haryana in one go.
The Election Commission is considering transporting ballot boxes from Haryana to Jammu and Kashmir via rail and returning them via the same route. Renting ballot boxes from Haryana or another state would cost the Election Commission approximately Rs 1 crore in transportation and return costs, plus other expenses, resulting in savings of up to Rs 5 crore.
Jammu and Kashmir has been without elected Panchayats since January 2024, while municipal bodies completed their tenure in late 2023.
The term of DDCs ended in February 2026, leaving all tiers of grassroots local governance without elected representatives.
Even if the ballot boxes are purchased, they will be useless for the next five years after being used once in Panchayat elections. In the J&K, only Panchayat Raj elections are conducted using ballot papers.
Separate funds will be required to store these ballot boxes for the next five years. If they are stored at the tehsil level, a room will be required.
The Election Commission is currently considering all these suggestions.
If the Election Commission rents ballot boxes, they must be returned within a stipulated period. If by-elections for Panch, Sarpanch, BDC, or DDC are held in the state’s Panchayats, the ballot box requirement will be met by 30,000 ballot boxes. The Commission currently has 30,000 ballot boxes of its own, and these can easily be used to conduct by-elections in Panchayats.
The Election Commission has 30,000 ballot boxes. If the Panch, Sarpanch, BDC, and District Development Council (DDC) elections are held separately, there’s no need for large purchases. However, holding simultaneous elections will require 70,000 ballot boxes.
The decision is currently underway to rent or purchase them. Whatever is in the best interest of the state, action will be taken accordingly, said Shantmanu, Election Commissioner, Jammu and Kashmir.
In a significant development, the SEC has recently completed the revision of Panchayat electoral rolls. The updated voter list comprises more than 72.24 lakh electors, including over 3.39 lakh newly enrolled voters. The final electorate consists of 36.62 lakh male voters, 35.61 lakh female voters and 141 third-gender voters.
