Ahead of Block Development Council elections, Jammu leaders released from preventive detention

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has freed almost all local leaders in Jammu who were kept in house arrest following the abrogation of Article 270. Almost all leaders of Conference (NC), Congress and Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) in the Jammu region has been released from their detention. They were under preventive detention since August 5 when the Articles 370 and 35A were abrogated by the union government.

NC leaders Devender Rana and SS Salathia, Congress leader Raman Bhalla and JKNPP leader Harshdev Singh are some of the prominent leaders to be released from house arrest.

Prominent leaders from the Kashmir region continues to be under preventing detention in Srinagar, including former CMs Farooq Abdullah, Ohousemar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti.

The decision to end the detention of the leaders came after the government announced elections for Block Development Council in the state, the second tier of the Panchayati Raj system. According to reports, since the Jammu region remained peaceful, and the situation has come back to normalcy in the state, the decision to end the preventive detentions was taken.

On 29^th September, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Electoral Officer had announced that the Block Development Council election will take place on 24^th October in the state. Elections will be conducted in 310 out of 316 blocks in Jammu and Kashmir, across Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions. Counting will take place on the same after the voting is over on 24^th. The entire process of election will be completed before 5^th November. It may be noted that the state will get divided into two union territories, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, on 31^st October.

J&K chief election commissioner Shailendra Kumar had also informed that electoral rolls will be revised after BDC polls, and new voters will be added to the roll as many people will be eligible to vote in local body elections after the abrogation of Article 370. The Panchayat elections for vacant seats in the state will be conducted using the revised electoral list.