In Jammu and Kashmir, the Panchayat and Urban Local Body elections are likely to be held before the year’s end. Akashvani Jammu Correspondent reports after the successful conclusion of Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in J&K, preparations are now underway for the Panchayat and Urban Local Body elections which will be held by December. For this purpose security forces deployed to ensure the peaceful conduct of the Assembly elections will remain in J&K until the Municipal and Panchayat elections are completed. The decision to retain the security forces has been taken keeping in view the high cost associated with to and fro movement and for the redeployment of such forces. The terms of office of the Municipal Corporations in both Jammu and Srinagar expired in November last year. As per legal requirements, elections must be held either before or shortly after the end of the corporation’s term. The delay has made these elections long overdue prompting the government to prioritise their completion. Security forces were first deployed for the Amarnath Yatra and later for the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly polls.       After the conduct of Panchayat and urban body polls, all democratic processes, including the very grassroots level, will be completed in J&K post abrogation of Article 370. A total of 27 thousand 281 Panches (Panchayat members) and Sarpanches (village headmen) were elected in the 2018 elections. There were 12 thousand 776 vacant Sarpanch and Panch seats in J&K. Bypolls to the Panchayats were held in 2020. The Panchayat polls in J&K are conducted by the J&K state election commission. Almost 30 thousand Panches and Sarpanches completed five-year terms on January 9, 2024, and with that, the disbursal of Rs. 25 lakh panchayat fund also ceased. The 2024 Panchayat poll will be held after fresh delimitation of ‘Halqas’ (Revenue Villages).