Newly elected chairpersons of block development councils (BDCs) were administered the oath of office in a majority of districts in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.
The Department of Rural Development organised the oath-taking ceremony of Jammu district here at Panchayat Bhavan.
The ceremony was held in the presence of Sudershan Kumar, Director, Rural development.
The oath was administered to chairpersons of 10 districts of the Jammu region, seven of Kashmir and Kargil of Ladakh.
Over 26,000 electors on Thursday had elected over 200 independent candidates and 81 from the BJP for the posts of the chairperson in the first ever block development council polls.
After the successful completion of the polls, which witnessed a record 98.3 per cent voting, Chief Electoral Officer Shailendra Kumar said in Srinagar, "The Elections were held in 280 blocks last Thursday as 27 candidates were elected unopposed".
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"In total, 217 Independents won. The BJP won in 81 blocks," he said.
Kumar said in the Kashmir division, 128 blocks went to the polls. The BJP won in 18, Independents in 109 and the Congress in one.
He said Srinagar district witnessed the highest poll percentage of 100 while the southern districts of Shopian and Pulwama recorded the lowest poll percentage of 85.3 and 86.2, respectively, in Kashmir Division.
In the Jammu region, 151 blocks went to the polls, with the BJP winning in 52, the JKNPP in eight and Independents in 88.
Results of three blocks are awaited, he said.