The Jammu and Kashmir chief electoral officer on Tuesdaydeferred panchayat by-polls, which was scheduled to held in eight phases fromMarch 5 to March 20. “The poll was deferred as the political parties expectBJP, were unwilling to participate,” an official told .

Moreover, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Monday issuednotification for holding the second phase of panchayat by-elections in 55blocks of 14 districts of the Union Territory. The by-election for 12,650panches and sarpanches in Jammu and Kashmir is to be held in eight phases fromMarch 5 to March 20.

J&K Chief Electoral Officer Shailendra Kumar had onSaturday issued the notification for the first phase of the eight-phase of bypolls.

Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir Election Commission (EC) held ameeting with political parties in Jammu to hear their concerns. Jammu andKashmir Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Shailendra Kumar said that the concernsof the political parties were heard in the meeting.The parties have raised theissue of the detention of their leadership, asking how elections can be held intheir absence.PDP leader Surinder Choudhary said the party boycotted themeeting because it believes the polling can’t take place if the leadershipremains under detention.

“We have said elections are possible only when all thedetained leaders of all the political parties are released,” Choudhary said.“Party president has to sign the nomination papers of the candidates, how canthat happen when he or she has been detained,” he added.Voicing similarconcerns, Panther’s Party leader Harshdev Singh asked how elections can beconducted on a party basis when most leaders are in detention. “The BJP wantsto do a one sided election,” Singh said.National conference leader Ratan LalGupta said the party is of the view that the situation is not conducive forholding elections. “The meeting should have been called much earlier to knowthe view of political parties about holding the bypolls,” Gupta said.