Suspected militants killed the chairperson of a block development council in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Wednesday evening, making him the highest ranking elected panchayat official to die in militancy-related violence since the 2018 elections.

The killing came on a day the Jammu and Kashmir administration decided to hold polls for vacant panchayat seats in the fledgling Union Territory.

Police sources said Bhupinder Singh was shot dead outside his ancestral residence inBudgam district at 7.45pm.

Some reports indicated he was associated with the BJP but the party has denied it.