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Following inputs from the law-enforcing agencies, the administration of the Union Territory (UT) of J&K on late Tuesday evening decided to defer much-publicised eight-phase panchayat byelections. The notifications for first two phases of the panchayat byelections had already been issued.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the Union Territories (UTs) of J&K and Ladakh Shailender Kumar on Thursday had announced eight-phase panchayat byelections to fill vacant posts of 11,639 panches and 1,011 sarpanches in 20 districts of the UT.

On late Tuesday evening, a notification was issued to defer the elections citing inputs of law-enforcement agencies. “The Home Department, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, vide its letter No: Home/ISA/237/2019, dated 18-02-2020, has advised the Election Authority to consider deferring the conduct of polls based on credible inputs from the law-enforcement agencies.

Now, therefore, in exercise of powers under Section 36 of the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989, read with Rule 8 and Rule 40 of the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Rules, 1996, the notifications dated 15-02-2020 and 17-02-2020 issued for Phase I and Phase II, respectively, and the schedule issued on February 13, 2020, for other phases of the panchayat byelections-2020 are hereby withdrawn. After addressing all the concerns suitably at the earliest, possibly in two to three weeks, fresh schedule shall be notified