NC says polls ‘hold no meaning’ without empowered govt; AJKPC accuses CM of seeking political, not public empowerment
Arteev Sharma
Jammu: The much-delayed Panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir have become sandwiched in the ongoing NC-BJP tussle over restoration of statehood, with the Omar Abdullah government reluctant to set a poll timeline while citing the BJP-led central government’s repeated “appropriate time” response on statehood.
The issue came into focus after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah told the Legislative Assembly recently that his government could use the same phrase on Panchayat elections that the Centre has been using on restoration of statehood.
“You say appropriate time for statehood, we will say the same for Panchayat polls,” Omar had said while responding to demands for clarity on the election schedule.
J&K continues to remain without elected representatives across all three tiers of its Panchayati Raj system. The terms of Halqa Panchayats and Block Development Councils (BDCs) expired on January 9, 2024, while the tenure of District Development Councils (DDCs) ended in February 2026. Consequently, all three tiers of elected rural local governance are currently without elected representatives.
However, Shafiq Mir, chairman of All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) opposed linking Panchayat elections with the restoration of statehood, saying grassroots governance should not be held hostage to the statehood issue.
He said that if Omar Abdullah was genuinely committed to restoration of statehood, he should not have contested the Assembly elections held under the Union Territory framework.
“If Omar Abdullah is sincere in his words for restoration of statehood, he should first step down from the Legislative Assembly. He should not have contested the UT election. If he contested the election, it means he has accepted or acknowledged the Union Territory,” Mir said.
He said politicians were focusing on their own political empowerment instead of empowering people through local institutions. “We don’t want statehood; we want local governance. We want empowerment of the people, not empowerment of politicians,” he said, adding that genuine public empowerment could come only through elected Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
Mir recalled that the NC and PDP had boycotted Panchayat elections in 2018 by linking them with Article 370 and 35-A, while over 80 per cent voting was recorded when the Panchayat Conference contested the polls. He said the parties again boycotted the 2019 BDC elections following the abrogation of Article 370, but high voter turnout continued. “In 2020, they realised they were losing ground and jumped into the DDC elections,” he said.
Mir alleged that the demand for restoration of statehood was being used for “political empowerment” rather than strengthening grassroots democracy. “We don’t need empowerment. Our powers are already defined under the Panchayat Act,” he said, stressing that Panchayats should be allowed to function within the powers already vested in them.
The AJKPC leader said they would approach the Central Government for early elections to Panchayats and ULBs, asserting that the polls should not be held hostage to the statehood issue.
“Panchayat and ULB polls would be held soon in J&K, whether Omar Abdullah government stays or falls,” he said, adding “Instead, we will make a request to the central government. Since the Centre has already brought several services in J&K under the Central Services framework through the Business Rules, the State Election Commission, which is mandated to conduct Panchayat elections in J&K, should also be governed under the Central framework,” he said.
Talking to The News Now, NC spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq rejected the perception that Panchayats had become caught in an NC-BJP confrontation, saying the larger issue was the “disempowerment” of elected institutions
“This is not a question of a tussle between the NC and BJP. They have disempowered the elected body which won the people’s mandate with a thumping majority,” Sadiq said.
He said that the immediate need in Jammu and Kashmir was to empower the elected government, arguing that the restoration of statehood should precede the holding of Panchayat elections. “At this juncture, what J&K needs is the empowerment of the elected government. Don’t you think J&K needs to be given statehood status?” he said.
Sadiq also referred to the issue of regularisation of daily wagers, saying the concerned file was pending with an IAS officer who, he claimed, was not under the control of the elected government. “Considering all these things, the elected government needs to be empowered, but they have disempowered it,” he said.
On the proposed creation of three tiers of local governance, Sadiq said there was little purpose in creating an additional tier without giving it adequate powers and resources. “If you want to create another tier, create it. But empowerment for the sake of empowerment holds no meaning,” he said and questioned, “How can you expect that they will allow Panchayats to function properly? They can stop the funding of the Panchayats.”
Sadiq reiterated that the elected government should be fully empowered before elections to Panchayati Raj institutions are held. “Before Panchayat elections, the elected government should be empowered,” he said.
