Results of J&K panchayat polls to be declared on Thursday

Counting of votes for four legislative council seats representing panchayat quota in the state is scheduled to be taken up on Thursday and the results are expected by noon.

The election for the four panchayat seats in upper house was held after a long gap of 32 years.

The main contest is between the ruling National Conference Congress coalition and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

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The polls were held after a spate of resignations by the panches and sarpanches in the Valley following killing of some panches and sarpanches in north Kashmirand threats by the militants.

However, the polling percentage, which was over 90 per cent, points to the overwhelming participation of the panches and sarpanches despite militant threats.

Government sources say that many panches and sarpanches who had publicly announced their resignations through paid advertisements in local dailies also participated in the poll process.

The panchayat elections were held last year in the state with huge participation by the people despite threats by the militants.

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The state police chief Ashok Prasad commented for the first time on the threats to panches and sarpanches by the Hizbul Mujahideen supreme commander and Muzaffarabad based United Jehad Council chief Syed Salah-ud-Din saying that 'police is perfectly equipped to take care of the threats'.

State Congress party chief, Saifuddin Soz while commenting on the election said, "It is a heartening that sarpanches and panches of Jammu and Kashmir have participated in the election of four candidates from Panchayats to represent them in the Jammu and Kashmir legislative council, in an unprecedented manner."

"The sarpanches  and panches  deserve heartfelt greetings for their spectacular success in showing their solidarity for a noble cause of strengthening the panchayat system and ensuring for future that the democracy will get enormously strengthened at the grass-roots."

"The sarpanches and panches have also reiterated their resolve that the process of development will also trickle down to the grass-roots in a meaningful way," Soz said in a statement.

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