In the 2024 Assembly elections, the BJP won 29 of 90 seats, becoming the largest opposition, and increasing its vote share from 22% to over 25%.
New Delhi: After the successful conclusion of the much-awaited Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, political parties in the Union Territory are now preparing for the Panchayat and municipal elections likely to be held next year.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the largest opposition party, winning 29 out of 90 assembly seats. While it failed to secure any seats in the Kashmir Valley, the party increased its vote share from 22% in 2014 to over 25% in the recent elections and improved its seat tally from 25 to 29.
The BJP has launched a membership drive to strengthen its grassroots presence. “We started the membership drive on November 6, and this will continue until December 6. In the last 10 days, we have enrolled nearly 2 lakh members, and we aim to get 10 lakh new members,” said Ashok Koul, Jammu and Kashmir BJP General Secretary.
The BJP now aims to consolidate its position further in the upcoming Panchayat and other local body elections.
Similarly, Congress, which is in alliance with the National Conference, is engaging with its cadre to recover from its poor performance in the assembly elections. Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) President Tariq Hameed Karra recently met senior party leaders in Jammu to strategize for the Panchayat elections.
These local body elections are considered crucial for strengthening democracy at the grassroots level. Once these elections are completed, Jammu and Kashmir will witness the full restoration of democratic processes across all levels following the abrogation of Article 370.
This year, Parliament passed a bill granting reservations to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Panchayats, municipalities, Block Development Councils (BDCs), and District Development Councils (DDCs). A Backward Classes Commission has been established to recommend the percentage of OBC reservations in these elections.
The tenure of local bodies ended last year, but fresh elections were delayed due to the pending decision on OBC reservations.
The Panchayat voter registration process for 2025 is underway, with the final voter list expected by January 6, 2025.