In J&K, District Development Council chief says DDC polls 'like a festival of democracy'

Ahead of Jammu and Kashmir's first-ever District Development Council elections which are scheduled to begin from November 28, DDC Chairman, Block Kotranka Javed Choudhary told ANI that the people in Rajouri district's Block Kotranka (Budhal) are very excited because this is the first election of its kind of which is being held in the newly created Union Territory of J&K. Speaking further he said that the local people are expecting more development in the far-flung areas of the district which has been divided into 4 parts for the upcoming DDC polls. The DDC elections will be conducted in eight phases starting from November 28 and will conclude by December 19. The voting in the Rajouri district will be held on November 28. 

Javel Choudhary told ANI, "This election for us is like a festival of democracy. People are happy and excited about the elections. It is a new system in which power is coming directly to people's hands. Earlier there used to be a constituency with an MLA with 4-6 people with him, they used to take control of votes. Issues of only selected people used to be resolved. Now people are seeing this as a new hope for change and development in their area."

Stating that earlier nobody used to go to the poor to ask about their problems, Choudhary said, "Plans will go to Block Development Council after going through Sarpanch, BDC chairman and new councillor who will be elected after polls."

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J&K's DDC Polls

State Election Commissioner KK Sharma, on November 4, informed that the newly formed Union Terrority's first-ever elections of the District Development Council will conclude on December 19 and the voting counting process will be held on December 22. Speaking about the Panchayat by-polls, Sharma informed that the results of the by-elections will be declared on the polling day itself while adding that the polling will begin at 7 am and end by 2 pm. The polling for DDC and Panchayat elections will be held via Ballot Boxes and postal ballots will be made available to all the COVID-19 patients in isolation as well as all the senior citizens and physically unwell people, informed the State Election Commissioner.

The expenditure limit for the DDC polls has been set at Rs. 5 lakhs per candidate and Rs. 1 lakh for the Sarpanch seats with Rs. 30,000 limit for the Panch candidate. As per the officials, general observers have been deployed by the concerned authorities, to monition the entire electoral process to ensure free, fair as well as transparent elections. On the other hand, the Chief Electoral Officer, Hirdesh Kumar informed that the 234 vacant seats of the Urban Local Bodies will also go to polls simultaneously and will be held via EVM. 

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(With inputs from ANI)