Jammu, March 30 -- The State Election Commission is making necessary arrangements for holding panchayat and urban local bodies (ULB) elections at the earliest, the Jammu and Kashmir government has said.

The tenure of municipalities ended in October-November 2023, while panchayats and block development councils completed their five-year term on January 9, 2024. The term of district development councils also ended on February 24 this year, leaving all local bodies without elected representatives.

According to officials, elections to local bodies could not be held on time due to multiple factors, including the delimitation exercise and the reservation of wards for Other Backward Classes.

In a written reply to a starred question by BJP MLA...