SEC to chair meeting of DEOs, will review Panchayat poll preparations today

Jammu, Jun 2: State Election Commissioner (SEC) Shantmanu is likely to review preparations for Panchayat elections in J&K, during a meeting of District Election Officers (DEOs) and other concerned officers of Jammu division to be convened tomorrow, June 3, 2026.

A similar meeting for DEOs and other senior officials from Kashmir division is scheduled for June 4, however, through video-conferencing.

Amid frantic speculations about the conduct of Panchayat elections, this will be the first SEC meeting after the publication of final (Panchayat) electoral rolls on May 21, 2026.

A comprehensive revision exercise commenced on March 27, 2026 when the draft electoral roll was released.

The final rolls recorded 72,24,131 electors with 36,62,502 males, 35,61,488 females and 141 third gender voters.

3,39,384 new voters were added while 1,13,344 names were deleted due to death, shifting, duplication and other admissible reasons.

The superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of all elections under the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act 1989, Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Act 2000 and the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Corporation Act 2000 is vested in the State Election Commission.

The SEC meeting assumes significance as opposition in J&K is clamouring for immediate conduct of polls to Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies.

In February 2026, with the end of the five-year term of District Development Councils (DDCs), the three-tier Panchayati Raj system also ceased to exist in J&K.

The other two tiers i.e., Panchayats and Block Development Councils (BDCs) had already completed their terms two years ago.

DDCs formed the last tier of the Panchayati Raj system in J&K in place till their five-year term concluded on February 24, 2026. Panchayats’ and BDC terms in J&K expired on January 9, 2024.

Srinagar Municipal Corporation term expired on November 5, 2023, and Jammu Municipal Corporation term expired on November 14, 2023. Further terms of all Municipal Councils and committees expired between October and November, 2023.

Clamour has grown louder after the official sources have indicated that delayed Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in J&K may not impact ongoing exercise related to Panchayat polls in J&K.

The State Election Commission may decide on its own (whether to wait for SIR for conduct of polls or not).

“This (Panchayat poll exercise) is an independent process. There is no definitive correlation between the two (SIR and Panchayat Polls) as their (SEC’s) revised lists are already ready. It (SIR) could have helped them in cross checking, re-verification. So, the SEC independently can decide on it – whether to wait for SIR or not,” sources have pointed out.

SEC, as per reports, has written to the J&K government for its decision on the recommendations of the OBC Commission, which is long awaited. The conduct of elections to Panchayat and ULBs will take place only after a decision on OBC reservation is taken by the government.