Srinagar, October 22: The campaigning for the first-ever Block Development Council (BDC) polls in Jammu and Kashmir came to an end on Tuesday. The polling is scheduled to take place on Thursday in the newly bifurcated Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, where over 3,300 sarpanches and panch would cast their votes to elect 310 elected as BDC chairpersons. Reports state that 520 candidates are in the poll fray.

As per the report, published in the Times of India, Bharatiya Janata Party had claimed that out of the 3,300 panchs and sarpanchs, it has the support of more than 1,500. However, official sources claim that 27 candidates have been chosen 'unopposed' as BDC chairpersons, out of which 22 are from BJP. Union Home Minister Amit Shah Reviews Ground Situation of Jammu and Kashmir, Preparations for BDC Polls.

It is to be known that almost all the political parties -- barring BJP -- have boycotted the BDC polls. The parties include -- Congress, National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peoples Conference (PC). All these parties have cited continuous detention of their respective party leadership by the administration post abrogation of Article 370. Earlier, PDP and NC had stayed away from both Panchayat and Municipal polls last year.

Meanwhile, the state administration has made adequate security arrangement for the BDC polls, whose counting would take place on the same day. An official stated, as TOI points out, "We have made tight security arrangements to ensure smooth conduct of BDC polls."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 22, 2019 11:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).