Elections to 4 MLC seats on Dec 3

KL Report

Srinagar

The Election Commission of India Monday evening announced elections to four seats of Legislative Council of J&K from the quota of Panchayat members. The elections would be held on December 3.

According to sources the Election Commission would issue notification for holding elections for four seats of MLCs (two each for Jammu and Kashmir divisions) on November 9 .The candidates can file their nomination papers from November 9 to November 16. Scrutiny will be held on November 17 while nominations can be withdrawn till November 19. The polling would be held on December 3. The entire poll process including counting will be concluded by December 8.

The election would be held under Representation of People’s Act (RPA), which means that any person eligible for contesting the election of MLA can jump into the fray for four seats of MLCs. However, the candidates of Jammu and Kashmir divisions would contest in their respective division as two seats each have been reserved for each division.
The Sarpanchs and Panchs comprised electoral college for the elections. Each of them would cast two votes in their respective division in separate Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Two candidates each in both the divisions securing highest number of votes would be declared as winners, sources said.

This will be after nearly four decades that vacancies in the Legislative Council from Panchayat members’ quota will be filled in the Upper House. The last time the election for four seats of MLCs from Panchayat quota was held in 1974. Since then complete Panchayat elections were held only last year.

Out of 36 seats in the Upper House, six were lying vacant at present including four from Panchayat and two from Urban Local Bodies quota. The ULB quota seats were filled in 2005 but as the elections to the Municipalities were not held in 2010 as scheduled, the seats have fallen vacant.

Election of four MLCs from Panchayat quota would take strength of the Legislative Council to 34.The Election Department has already published revised electoral rolls for the elections to four seats of the Council from Panchayat quota. Total number of voters stood at 33,540,they include 15,628 (13,678 Panches and 1950 Sarpanchs) from Jammu and 17,912 (15,767 Panchs and 2145 Sarpanchs) from Kashmir.

The recognized political parties can field a maximum of four candidates, two each for Jammu and Kashmir province seats while Independent candidates can also jump the fray to test their luck.