BJP accuses National Conference of shying away from panchayat polls in J&K

Speaking in the assembly last month, chief minister Omar Abdullah, referring to panchayat polls, said he was adopting the same line as the BJP - that the elections would be held at an appropriate time.

Leader of Opposition in J&K assembly Sunil Sharma on Thursday accused the Omar Abdullah-led government of shying away from panchayat polls, saying the elections could have served as a litmus test for the National Conference (NC).

Leader of Opposition in J&K assembly Sunil Sharma

Sharma’s remarks came a day after panchayat polls were announced in Ladakh.

“Omar Abdullah has made it clear in the legislative assembly that his government won’t be holding panchayat polls in J&K. Even NC president Farooq Abdullah has said that panchayat polls won’t be held in the UT. They (NC) are aware that if panchayat polls are held, the ruling party will face its biggest setback since coming to power in 2024,” Sharma said, adding that people would teach the NC a lesson as the government has failed to fulfil its promises.

“They haven’t fulfilled a single promise, whether it is free electricity, gas cylinders or reservations. So they are aware of the outcome of the polls,” he alleged.

Speaking in the assembly last month, chief minister Abdullah, referring to panchayat polls, said he was adopting the same line as the BJP - that the elections would be held at an appropriate time.

The terms of panchayats and block development councils (BDCs) ended two years ago. The last panchayat elections were held in 2018, while BDC polls took place in October 2019.