Srinagar, Sep 29: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday turned the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) repeated “appropriate time” response on restoration of statehood against the party in the Legislative Assembly, saying his government could use the same phrase when asked about the timeline for Panchayat elections in Jammu & Kashmir.
Responding to a question by BJP MLA R S Pathania on when the Panchayat elections would be held, Omar drew a parallel with the Centre’s position on statehood, saying, “You say appropriate time for statehood, we will say the same for Panchayat polls.”
The Chief Minister added that if the BJP continued to seek clarity on the schedule for Panchayat elections, the government could similarly respond that the polls would be held at an “appropriate time”.
He questioned the ambiguity surrounding the phrase, pointing out that the BJP had repeatedly invoked an appropriate time for restoring statehood without specifying when that time would arrive or how it would be determined.
The exchange came amid the continuing political confrontation between the National Conference-led government and the BJP over the restoration of J&K’s statehood, with Omar using the issue to question the Opposition’s demand for a definite timeline on local body elections.
Pertinently, the grassroots institutions remain without elected representatives. The issue assumes significance as 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.
The delay has left grassroots governance dependent on administrative arrangements, with Block Development Officers having been appointed as administrators following the expiry of the Panchayat and BDC terms. The government informed the Assembly last week that no specific timeline could be indicated for the Panchayat elections, stating that preparatory work was under way and that the statutory authority to conduct and schedule the polls rested with the State Election Commission.
The election preparations involve revision of electoral rolls, delimitation and reservation-related exercises. The process has also been linked to the implementation of Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation following amendments to local body laws in February 2024.
A Dedicated Backward Classes Commission, constituted in June 2024, submitted its final report on February 27, 2025. However, the reservation framework and related procedural requirements remain central to preparations for the polls. The State Election Commission initiated the revision of Panchayat electoral rolls in March 2026, fixing April 1 as the qualifying date. The exercise formed part of the preparatory process for the next round of local body elections.
The delay has also prolonged the absence of elected representatives at the village, block and district levels, institutions that play a key role in local development planning and the implementation of government schemes.
Omar’s remarks on Tuesday brought the unresolved question of Panchayat elections into the wider political debate over statehood, with the Chief Minister challenging the BJP to explain why a definite timeline should be expected for local polls when the Centre has not provided one for restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s full statehood. Meanwhile, speaking to reporters, LoP Sunil Sharma said the Chief Minister is duty-bound to hold Panchayat Polls. “It’s the people who will ask him when he will hold elections. Let Omar go to any Panchayat Halqa he will face the music,” LoP claimed.
