"We have decided to support the candidates of the coalition partners National Conference (NC) and Congress," patron-in-chief of Jammu and Kashmir Panch Sarpanch United Forum (JKPSUF) Haji Ghulam Nabi Mir told reporters here.
Mir said they decided not to boycott the elections and support the coalition candidates after he held consultations with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Welcoming the announcement of NC and Congress to fight the elections jointly, Mir said their only aim is to see the panchayat raj institutions (PRIs) prosper in the state.
"We took the decision for the larger interests of PRIs. We have been assured by the government that our demands will be met," he said.
Meanwhile, another faction of panches and sarpanches Jammu Kashmir Panchayat Association (JKPA) today announced the decision to contest the elections independently.
"We have decided to take part in the elections and not boycott them. We will contest the elections independently and have selected the candidates," spokesperson of JKPA, Khurshid Ahmad Malik said.
"We are fighting for the empowerment of the panchayat institutions and boycott will not serve the purpose," Malik said. (MORE)