Srinagar, Sep 16: Panchayat elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir in nine phases beginning on November 17, the Election Commission announced on Sunday.

Chief Electoral Officer Shaleen Kabra's announcement comes a day after he said that elections to the state's urban local bodies will be held in four phases starting October 8.

"Voting for the panchayat polls will be held on November 17, 20, 24, 27, 29 and December 1, 4, 8 and 11," Kabra told the media here. "These elections are being held on a non-party basis and, therefore, counting of votes will start at the end of each voting phase.

"With this announcement, the model code of conduct has come into effect and all concerned are expected to strictly follow it," the officer added. The National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have announced they will stay away from these polls.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 16, 2018 02:06 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).