J-K: 358 Wards Reserved For Women In 77 Municipal Bodies For Upcoming Municipality, ULB Polls

– Aasif Suhaf

Srinagar: The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Jammu and Kashmir In a significant development, unveiled a draft reservation proposal for 77 urban local bodies (ULBs) in the Union Territory of J&K for upcoming polls of Municipalities and urban local bodies.

According to the official notification released by the Chief Electoral Office J&K, the proposal focuses on reserving wards for women, scheduled castes, and scheduled tribes within the ULBs. As per the notification Citizens and stakeholders have been granted a seven-day window to provide their objections and suggestions concerning the proposal.

The political parties including from the region welcomed the decision to make a huge number of wards reserved for women. BJP leader Hina Bhat termed the decision historic and said that “there was a demand for an increase in women reservation both at grass root level electoral wards and assembly, women leaders from all the party’s were demanding this for long in Jammu and Kashmir and this decision is a welcome step towards women empowerment in UT.”

In 1119 wards across 77 municipal bodies of Jammu and Kashmir, a total of 358 seats have been reserved for women. In Srinagar district alone the CEO has recommended reserving 25 out of a total of 74 wards for women in the Srinagar Municipal Corporation. For the Jammu Municipal Corporation, the proposal includes reservations for 25 wards for women, besides 10 for Scheduled Castes, and two for Scheduled Tribes.

Another political leader from PDP Mohit Bhan while welcoming the government announcement for a huge number of reserved wards for women said “The decision is welcoming and the regional parties in J&K were always in favor of women empowerment for which earlier governments have already announced certain reservations for women in J&K during past.” Bhan further said that there is nothing new that this government can claim they have done for women.

The municipal polls in Jammu and Kashmir are likely to be held in October-November this year for which the preparations have already started from all the political parties.